The Clock Spins Faster
by ShooTheOtherGuy
Summary: Chocobos, guns and Mako are never a good combination. So what happens when Cloud finds that out the hard way? He goes back in time, of course! Will Cloud fix everything and stop this world from falling to its future doom? Or will he simply postpone the inevitable? A time-travel fic! There will be no romance here! Rated T because if you've played this, you should already be a teen.
1. The Clock Is Ticking

**ShooTheOtherGuy here with another one of them Time Travel Fics! I've read every one out there, including The Fifth Act, Counter Crisis, Dreams Of The Morrow, etc...which, by the way, guys who haven't updated yet, you really should. Awesome stuff out there.**

**This fic here will contain no romance. Nope, no Seph/Cloud, Zack/Cloud, anything/Cloud. The only pairing with be the implied Zack/Aerith, which is canon. I am not a fan of romance. Sorry guys.**

**What this fic w****_ill _****include is lots of suspicious Turks, action, slip-ups, confusion, and lots of things going wrong. Might not even have a happy ending, who knows?**

**Well, I hope you enjoy! I'll do my best to get this one finished, unlike my other fic (which was so not planned out). I actually planned this one out, though! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or anything associated with it. I do, however, own the plot of this story.**

* * *

The roar of Fenrir cut through the still air, blowing up dust, dirt and undefinable objects in its wake. Cloud clutched a small package in his hand as he zoomed through the mountains leading to the Chocobo Ranch southeast of Midgar.

"Where's Cid when you need him…" he mumbled under his breath. Cloud would have preferred to utilize said captain's airship, but after calling a million times without an answer, he decided to journey the long trek to Mideel himself. Sometimes the delivery service could be a real pain, thought Cloud as he zoomed closer towards the ranch.

Soon Cloud skidded across yellow grass – once a rich green – to stop Fenrir from colliding into the white, rusted fence. The aftermath of Meteor wasn't pretty, and the towns and cities spread across the map were doing their best to scrape up what they could and start over.

Cloud hopped off of Fenrir, making sure to grab his trusty First Tsurugi and slipping it into the harness strapped onto his back. He then proceeded to wheel the bike into Chocobo Bill's farmhouse.

"Chocobo Bill?" Cloud called, looking around. Because Mideel was located on an island, he couldn't cross the water with Fenrir, so that was where the chocobos came in.

"Ah, Cloud? Is that you there? Long time no see!" replied Chocobo Bill, stepping into Cloud's view from what Cloud knew was the spare bedroom. He had on a huge smile as he regarded Cloud. "Wow, just look at you, all big and strong!"

Cloud observed him coolly. "You're not too bad yourself," he said, before straightening up again. "I wanted to ask a favour of you."

"Go ahead, what is it you want?" Chocobo Bill stepped forward a bit, waiting patiently for Cloud's answer.

"I need to get to Mideel, but I can't take Fenrir across. Is it OK if I borrowed a black chocobo? I have no money on me." He lied about the last part. Cloud didn't want to use Chocobo Bill like that, but he didn't have enough money to waste on pointless things like greens, and not enough time to go and catch one himself.

"No money? Boy, you telling me you run a delivery service for free?" Chocobo Bill asked, clearly baffled at Cloud's lack of funds.

Cloud kept eye contact, trying not to look away to signal that he was lying. "I got mugged when fighting a monster on the way here."

Chocobo Bill's eyebrows furrowed in thought before he nodded, clearly buying Cloud's excuse. "Alright, head on down to the stable and grab Coal," Cloud opened his mouth to ask about Fenrir, but Chocobo Bill beat him to it, "and you can keep that motorcycle of yours out back."

Cloud managed to smile a bit, grateful for his kindness. "Thanks." He turned around, tossing a wave over his shoulder, and wheeled Fenrir to the back of the house. After leaning it behind some crates for safety, he headed over to the chocobo stable to pick up Coal, a black chocobo that Cloud rose himself back when he used to tend to the chocobos, before Meteor.

As soon as he entered the stable, the chocobos warked at him in glee in the return of their short time caretaker. He walked past the yellows, greens and golds in search of the black chocobos, occasionally reaching over to scratch one behind the ears or to pat them on the head. It wasn't long before he found Coal, all healthy, happy and so blissfully unawareof everything that had happened.

"Hey little guy, you're coming with me," Cloud said, aware that the chocobo probably didn't know what he was saying. The black chocobos were a smart breed, though, so it understood Cloud's intention and warked in excitement at the thought of finally getting out of the stable.

Cloud unlocked the gate trapping the chocobo inside and led him out, guiding him to the door. Once they were out he hopped on, clutching the package, and patted Coal on his head.

"To Mideel," Cloud said softly, tugging Coal to said destination northwest of the Chocobo Ranch.

The journey took a bit of time, Coal moving slower than Fenrir does. On the way, Cloud zoned out, mulling over the events of his long, hard life. Shin-Ra, Sephiroth, JENOVA, Hojo…the factors that made everything in his life go wrong. Cloud couldn't help but wonder that if those didn't exist, didn't happen, what would have become of him now.

Even after Meteor, Sephiroth still managed to haunt him, this time through Kadaj and his gang. After finally defeating the silver-haired monster yet again, Cloud managed to slowly relax due to the company of his friends and the fact that everything seemed to get better. Even so, a small part of his mind was on alert, just waiting for the next time Sephiroth decided to strike again.

After the latest fight, Tifa and the kids stayed home, content to run the busy bar. Barret went back to Corel to try to help his hometown get back on its feet. Vincent took to traveling, never really staying in one place. Yuffie went back to Wutai, wanting to make her village proud. Red XIII sometimes tagged along with Cloud's deliveries, but was content to hang around Cosmo Canyon to ward off the beasts that tended to lurk near the small town. Cid was back at his rocket, not wanting to leave the little town that he called home. He also kept the Highwind in top shape, and was constantly being called to drop his friends off here or there. Reeve, or Cait Sith, Cloud really didn't know about, but he liked to think that he was doing well.

Soon, Coal cleared the green-blue water, and in no time they skidded to a halt in front of Mideel. Cloud hopped off of the chocobo, thanking it with a scratch behind the ears for taking him there, and proceeded to walk into Mideel to deliver the package, Coal following him in.

The vast Lifestream shimmered green, deadly in the middle of the big village. Cloud carefully stepped around it knowing that if he fell in, he would die in the thick poison that was the Planet's blood. Coal seemed to sense Cloud's caution, and did the same.

They arrived in front of the right house, Cloud double checking the package to make sure. He knocked on the door and almost immediately someone opened it up, looking quite tired. It was a middle aged man, bald everywhere except the thick brown beard decorating his face.

Cloud held out the package and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could the man grabbed it from his hands and slammed the door shut. Coal warked in surprise, and Cloud stared hard at the door before sighing and heading back.

Before leaving, Cloud stopped in front of the open Lifestream, staring out at the vast green lake. This was where he found himself. It was both an ending to his former self and the beginning of a new one. It was the cause of all his problems, yet the solution as well. Funny thing it was, the Lifestream. It signalled life and death.

Cloud was so lost in contemplation that he didn't notice one of the villagers approach him and silently regard the Lifestream next to him until they spoke up.

"It's a strange thing, isn't it? Some say the Lifestream rests only in Mideel. Others say it moves throughout time. Those who attempt to find out are never heard from again. I guess it will forever remain a mystery, eh?"

Cloud blinked, then turned to his right to see one of the shopkeepers next to him. He was a large man, draped in clothing that was a little dirty in places, but who could blame him? He was topped off with a head of greying black hair and a stubble across his face. Coal warked a greeting as he stood next to Cloud, waiting to take him back to the Chocobo Ranch.

"…Yeah, I guess," Cloud mumbled, remembering the time he himself fell in. They both stayed like that for a while, staring out at the beautifully deadly lake. Soon, Cloud moved to straddle Coal and head out. The shopkeeper glanced at him before smiling slightly and walking off. Cloud nudged the chocobo, prompting him to turn back around.

Suddenly, a man came out of one of the houses littering the village, a silver gun clutched in his hands. Cloud recognized him as the one he gave the package to, the one who slammed the door in his face. He looked a little panicked and pointed the gun beside Cloud's shoulder. Cloud turned around just in time to see a Crysales about to strike. The man aimed, his finger pressing the trigger.

**BANG!**

The shot was so sudden and so loud that it scared Coal right out of his mind. He warked in panic, hopping dangerously close to the Lifestream. Cloud desperately tried to calm the chocobo down and away from the edge of the lake, but another gunshot caused Coal to fling Cloud right off of his back and into the air over the Lifestream.

"No –!" Cloud choked out, not wanting to believe that he was about to take another dunk into the deadly green water. He might not be so lucky this time.

Gasps came from around the village as people watched Cloud's fall into the open Lifestream. Cloud closed his eyes, hoping to the Planet that this was all some kind of sick dream, that he wasn't about to fall to his death.

Cloud could feel the natural Mako burning his skin the moment he touched the searing liquid. His thoughts flashed to his friends, his makeshift family, and what they would do without him. He silently laughed at the irony of it all, how the same Mako that killed Sephiroth, that started all his problems, was killing him now. And his last thought before everything went black was:

"Damn you, Coal."

* * *

The helicopter touched down roughly onto the forest ground outside of Mideel, landing with a shake and a huge thud. Zack hopped out immediately afterward, wanting to escape the cramped quarters of the aircraft and all the troopers that were squeezed inside. Said troopers filed out, guns strapped to their backs, ready for orders. Zack, being SOLDIER Second, was in charge of this group. They were to head out and locate a Mako spring that supposedly popped up somewhere around Mideel and get it under control. It would have been a job for the Turks, or even some low SOLDIER Thirds, but the fact remained that there could be some Mako-crazed beats lurking around. With an open Mako spring, the local animals could easily get into it and go insane.

Once everyone filed out and into a straight line, Zack smacked his fist into an open palm. "Alright! You four," Zack pointed to the four troopers closest to him, "head on northwest. You three," the three in the middle stood to attention, "come with me north from here. And the rest of you head southeast. Let's go!"

As he watched the other two groups move onwards, and headed on forward with his, Zack couldn't help but thank all that time he spent with his mentor, Angeal. Without him, Zack would have been a mess in handling the troopers.

Looking around acres and acres of forest for one small Mako spring wasn't easy, and Zack quickly got bored in looking at the same trees over and over again, at the green that seemed to never end. The troopers also looked bored, but they entertained themselves in meaningless gossip. Even that didn't last very long, though, and the rest of the search was continued in silence until a trooper hesitantly cleared his throat, about to speak.

"Uh, Sir, is it OK if we rest here for a bit?" he asked, clearly afraid of being portrayed as weak. Zack simply grinned. "Oh man, I thought you'd never ask," he said, plopping down. The other troopers sighed loudly in exhaustion and plopped themselves down right where they were. One of them pulled out a canteen of water, taking a tentative sip before passing it down. They all took a sip and passed it onwards.

"I wonder if the others found anything?" one of them asked, casually leaning against a tall, crooked tree. The others hummed in thought.

"Well, hopefully they find something soon. I just want to get out of here," another piped in.

"Yeah…hopefully," Zack mumbled, content to just lean against the tree all day. He closed his eyes, relaxed. Suddenly his PHS rang, the shrill sound cutting through the silent air. "Well, speak of the devil," he said, before flipping the phone open and holding it up to his ear. "Zack Fair, SOLDIER Second Class, at your service." He listened intently, then frowned. "What? Are you serious? Where are you?" The troopers ceased their chatter and listened intently, watching Zack's face fall with every word. All of a sudden he jumped up, startling the other troopers. "What!? Hold on! We'll be right there!" Zack snapped his phone shut and turned to the rest of the group sharply.

"Get up! Group A found the spring, but something went wrong and they got separated only to find that one of the troopers fell into the Mako! Let's go!" The group scrambled to gather their bearings and shot up to follow Zack. Together, they headed northwest.

* * *

Everything hurt.

His arms, his legs; hell, even his _hair _hurt. Cloud wasn't quite sure which way was up or down, or even if there _was _an up and down. He couldn't remember anything except never to trust black chocobos and guns ever again.

Cloud felt weightless and yet so heavy as he floated in the Planet's blood. His vision was submerged in an endless green, and he could have sworn he saw a wandering spirit here or there. Cloud really didn't know what to make of anything anymore. Was he dead? It sure took a while, he thought bitterly. Cloud wasn't an expert on the Planet or anything, but he was sure Bugenhagen didn't mention anything about floating aimlessly in the Lifestream after you died.

Just like that, Cloud stopped moving. Or was he ever really moving? Cloud chose not to question anything anymore. Whatever happened to him, he couldn't change it. That didn't stop him from wanting to.

"Why won't I just die already?" Cloud muttered. He was sick of floating around in the sickly green…whatever it was. Anything was better than this. He let his body wander on its own accord as he drifted through the Lifestream, his mind blanking out, hoping to the Planet that he would just _leave _this place.

All of a sudden, something changed. Cloud wasn't floating, moving, staying still, or anything really. His mind suddenly fogged up, the natural Mako finally taking its toll on him. His head _hurt_, and the only thing he could register was that _this was not supposed to be happening. _Didn't he die? Who could survive a dip into the Lifestream a secondtime? Surely Cloud wasn't _that_lucky.

Just like that, Cloud was forced out of the Lifestream. His messed up mind couldn't register anything. All he could see was more green, though this green was darker and mixed with brown. He suddenly felt really heavy, as if he had just got thrown back into his own body. Cloud struggled to get up, his sword—that was still there?—weighing him down again. All he could see was green. Cloud was beginning to hate the colour. He couldn't even see properly. His vision was so blurred and so messed up that Cloud was starting to doubt whether he was even alive.

"…A-are you…m-me?"

Cloud whipped his head around to where he thought the voice came from; although he wasn't quite sure he was just crazy. His eyes met with a bluish smudge topped off with…was that yellow hair? Cloud suddenly realized that the blob he was staring at was himself. He scowled as his vision focused a bit more. This skinny, weak, whimpering, _pathetic _child was him? Was this a trick of the Lifestream?

His eyes widened as he realized something. Was this a trick of _Sephiroth? _He sure did this before, back when he became Tifa in the caves by Sephiroth's actual body. That could be the only explanation. Sephiroth somehow came back, living in the Lifestream, and decided to mess Cloud up with…himself. That was just sick, even for "Calamity's son." Then again, was anything bad enough for him?

Knowing this, Cloud's mind suddenly screamed at him to **eliminate the enemy**_. _He reached behind his back for his trusty First Tsurugi, ignoring the whimpering _thing _in front of him. All he knew was that the thing before him needed to die.

Cloud yanked out First Tsurugi from the harness strapped to his back and almost lost his balance from the weight of the weapon combined with the effects of the natural Mako on his mind and body. Regardless, he lifted the weapon above his head, not registering the fact that the thing in front of him didn't bother to dodge.

**CHIING**

His sword sliced the thing in two, three, four pieces before it fell to the ground in an unrecognizable, gruesome lump to be swept away and burned by the Lifestream. Suddenly Cloud felt woozy, as if lifting the blade drained all the remaining energy in his body. He continued to stare in the spot where the thing had stood, his mind screaming at him that **something was wrong.**

Cloud continued to stand there until he couldn't stand anymore, collapsing to the ground and hoping to the Planet—not for the first time—that this was all some kind of sick dream. The last thing he remembered was the sound of footsteps, of someone yelling his name, bending down and touching him, prodding him, and Cloud suddenly wished he was dead.

**So what do you guys think? Should I keep this one going or keep is selfishly within the confines of my mind?** **Reviews are much appreciated! **


	2. Realization

**ShooTheOtherGuy, back with another chapter! Honestly, the maximum I will go is probably one chapter every two weeks, but hopefully I won't resort to that. Your reviews and follows and favorites have forced me into writing another chapter! Yeah!  
I've never gotten this much attention for a story before, so thanks! :)**

**Important note:**** * The first chapter is CADET CLOUD's POV, ****_not _****Future Cloud.** ***** **  
Oh, I'm also kind of fuzzy with the dates. If I get anything wrong, don't hesitate to tell me. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or anything associated with it. I do, however, own the plot of this story.**

* * *

Cloud stumbled around the Mideel forest, lost. His short stature and feeble body didn't help things at all. He was tiring, fast. If only those damn grasshopper _things _hadn't shown up, he would have never gotten separated from his group. The blonde was tempted to sit and wait for said group to find him, but then scowled at himself. General Sephiroth would have kept on going!

With this thought in mind, Cloud pushed forward, adjusting the Shin-Ra issue helmet as he did so. His gun was strapped onto his back, weighing him down. Despite the weight and his dwindling energy, Cloud was determined to find his group. If he happened to stumble across the Mako spring as well, that was just a bonus.

As if the Planet had heard him, Cloud found himself suddenly in an opening. Before him lay the same Mako spring they were all searching for. He grinned to himself, but that was suddenly wiped away as something—some_one_, he realized—emerged from the Mako. He started forward, worried for whoever it was that had fallen in, but stopped short at the sight of blonde, spiky hair that looked strangely like his own.

Cloud jumped back as the person—a boy, he noted—wobbled forward and onto his two, shaking feet. Because of the sudden movement, Cloud's already loose helmet slid off his head, and through his shock he didn't move to pick it up.

He hesitantly took a step forward and saw confusion flicker across the other man's face, which Cloud noted looked strangely like an older version of his own. Now that he thought about it, there was a good chance that it was, crazy as it sounded. The man's hair, his features, everything about him was strangely like Cloud's own.

"…A-are you…m-me?"

Cloud immediately regretted that statement as the other man's head whipped around. He silently scolded himself for stuttering.

The other man stared at Cloud with a crazed look in his eyes, and if he didn't know any better he would say there was hatred mixed in too. This statement was confirmed when "Future Cloud," as he thought of him as, lifted his hand to reach for the huge sword strapped onto his back. Cloud's eyes widened in surprise when he noted that the sword looked strangely like Commander Hewley's Buster Sword. He was too frozen with shock to dodge as he realized who the man's target was.

Time seemed to slow down, and Cloud could only helplessly stare. He stood, stunned at the realization that he was being killed by himself. The sword was brought down upon his head painfully slowly, and Cloud's last words died on his lips as the sword sliced through his stiff body not once, not twice, but four times.

Cloud could feel the Mako burn his skin the moment he touched the green liquid, and he felt the strange sensation as if this had happened before. His head sank deep into the Mako along with his other torn limbs, and that was the end of Cadet Cloud Strife.

* * *

The thud of military-issue boots sounded through the dense forest as Zack's group ran northwest. The group on the other end had described the situation to him. Apparently a gang of Head Hunters ambushed the group, and a cadet who had been separated because of it was found lying in the same Mako spring they had been searching for, unconscious and perhaps severely messed up. Cadet Cloud Strife, Zack remembered the cadet on the phone say. A dip in Mako like that could be lethal. This thought made Zack speed up, and the poor troopers behind him almost lost him.

Finally they arrived into the clearing, and the first thing Zack noticed was a little pond of Lifestream, the Mako spring they were looking for. It shimmered a soothing green, inviting, but he knew better. If anyone fell in they were as good as dead.

That's why, when Zack saw the Mako-covered trooper, he was a little stunned at the fact that physically, the boy looked fine; however, on closer inspection he realized the poor trooper was unconscious and looking a little, well, green.

The raven-haired Second pushed past all the troopers gathered around the cadet. They were carefully inspecting him for any obvious wounds and doing their best to clean the Mako off of the poor blonde. His helmet was tossed aside, and the yellow gravity-defying spikes were tinted a faint green. That's going to take forever to get out, Zack thought. He bent down next to the fallen trooper and tried to shake him awake.

"Strife? Hey, wake up," Zack spoke. He leaned in and poked his face. "You in there?"

"…"

Zack continued to shake, applying increasing amounts of pressure with every move. The other cadets sweat dropped and one nudged him in the shoulder.

"Um, shouldn't you contact Commander Hewley?" he asked. Zack stared at him blankly before realization dawned on his face and he yanked out his phone. "You're right! He'll know what to do about this!" Zack could type his mentor's number in his sleep. His fingers flied across the keypad before he lifted the phone up to his ear.

"_Angeal Hewley here,_" came the automatic reply.

"Angeal?" Zack answered back.

"_Zack? Is something wrong?" _Zack didn't miss the hint of worry in his tone.

"No…um…well…" The raven-haired Second was hesitant to continue.

_"Go on," _Angeal prompted, his gruff voice tainted with the static of the phone.

"Abunchofmonsterscameandtheyg otseperatedandacadetfellinto MakoandI'msorryIwasn'twatchingthemand—"

_"Zack! Slow down! What happened?"_

Zack took a deep breath, glancing at the cadet before continuing. "Well, one of the groups I sent off got ambushed by a couple of Head Hunters. One of their cadets got separated. He ended up falling into the Mako spring we were looking for and…andI'msorryIshouldn'thaveletithappenWHATDOIDOO?" Zack started panicking again when he looked back at the fallen trooper.

"_Calm down! I'll send some medics," _here he paused, noticing Zack's oncoming reply, "_and don't worry. It's not your fault, you tried your best. When the medics arrive, hurry and get the job done."_

Zack took another deep breath and let it out slowly before replying. "Will do. Thanks a lot, Angeal. I owe you one. When will they arrive?"

_"Just getting the job done. They'll be there in about…ten minutes, if I have anything to do about it."_

Zack calmed down a bit. "Thanks again!"

He could almost hear the soft smile in his mentor's voice. "_You're welcome. Tend to the cadet as best you can, they will arrive shortly. Take care."_

"

Bye…" Zack called weakly into the phone before shutting it closed. He looked down at the trooper again before resorting back to shaking. "Hey, wake up!"

"…uhn…hnn?...mhhmm…"

The reply was faint, but it was there. Zack stopped everything and just stared, before shaking more roughly, hoping to get another response from the fallen blonde. "Are you in there!? Strife!"

"…Zzzzzaa...?"

The blonde—Cloud, it was—stirred a bit, and the troopers around him started in surprise. He opened his eyes a bit, just a little bit, but it didn't change the fact that _he was awake! _Zack couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as he regarded the awakening blonde.

"I'm right here, buddy! Come on, let's get up!" he called out, trying to prompt the blonde into waking up completely. The other cadets simply watched the scene unfold; although one of them was getting ready for the arrival of the medics by signalling their location and another left to find the base.

"Za…s'you?"

"What? "Zack leaned closer and a trooper that was standing nearby splashed water on the blonde's face. He took a moment to snap out of it, and Zack wiped the water off his face before he continued. After the splash of water, Cloud looked a little more awake.

"Is tha' you, Za...?" Cloud tried again. Zack blinked. "Of course it's me, buddy!" he said, ignoring the fact that the kid knew his first name. "Who else would it be?"

Cloud blinked owlishly. "Am I dead?" Zack just stared at him before chuckling a little at the blunt question. "No way, man! I can't believe you survived that fall…I mean, I'm glad you did!" Despite the reassurance, Cloud looked more frantic.

"Then…how are you here? I must be dead, I…" here he paused, "Yeah, I'm dead. I'm seeing things. I didn't know the Lifestream had trees…and Shin-Ra troopers…" Cloud trailed off, looking lost, but probably not as lost as Zack felt. And he felt _really _lost.

Suddenly Cloud stared at Zack, and the raven-haired Second noticed that _the eyes were glowing._He blinked. It was probably because of the Mako after his fall. But damn, those were some blue eyes he had. They were super clear and impossibly blue.

"…How's Aerith doing? You're happy with her, right? What about the rest of AVALANCHE? Can I see them? I bet they would laugh at me, dying like that…stupid chocobo…oh, and what about my mom? Can I see her? I bet she's real worried about me, having died and all…Did you ever meet up with Angeal? How is he, anyways? I never met him, but…yeah… and I'm dead, right?"

Zack could have sworn he felt his jaw hit the ground. How did he...the kid knew about Aerith! And nobody knew about Aerith! Well, nobody he didn't tell…then again, Zack mused, he supposed that he told everyone…ah, well. Zack filed the AVALANCHE bit away for later, whatever that was. And what was that about a chocobo?

Cloud made to get up, but Zack held him down. "Hey there, easy buddy, you're not dead!" Right now, he needed to convince him that he was, in fact, very much alive.

"Then where am I?" he asked, pointedly looking at Zack. The other cadets were stunned into silence and left Zack to his own devices while they chattered amongst themselves, awaiting the arrival of the medics.

"You're in Mideel, Cloud."

"But…Mideel was wiped out a long time ago…how did you forget, Zack?" Cloud asked, speaking carefully. The most astonishing part was that he looked at Zack like _he _was the crazy one! Zack chose his words carefully, talking slowly as if trying to communicate with a two-year-old.

"Cloud…nothing happened. We were trying to find a Mako spring. You got separated from the other cadets and fell into the spring. You're lucky you even survived." Zack studied Cloud's face for a reaction. Cloud simply stared back, looking even more confused with the new information.

"But Zack…I'm not a cadet. It's been so long. What are you talking about?"

Zack looked at him funny. "You know what, the Mako is affecting you way too much," he turned to the closest cadet, "are the medics here yet?"

Said cadet turned around and studied Cloud before replying. "They have arrived in Mideel and are on their way towards our current location, sir." Zack grinned at the news and turned to speak to the blonde. "Hear that? You'll be better soon! Just hang on a little more, kay?"

Cloud looked as if he was arguing with himself, then seemed to have lost and simply closed his eyes with a quiet sigh. "Mmm…"

Content with the results, Zack made to get up before Cloud reached over and lightly touched his arm. "Just…be careful, OK?" he said, concern filling those bright blue eyes of his. Zack was a little stunned. "Hey, that's my line!" he replied. Cloud smiled a bit—just a little bit—before closing his eyes again.

Zack smiled down one more before getting up. "You there," he pointed to the nearest cadet, "watch over him until the medics come. The rest of you," his eyes swept over the others, "let's finish this job!" They thudded away, ignoring the sword that was hidden amongst the mud and rocks, forgotten.

* * *

The first thing Cloud noticed when he woke up was that he was not surrounded by green. Everything was pristine white. At first he began to panic, assuming that he was somehow in Hojo's greasy clutches again until common sense kicked in. Cloud looked around, trying to get a better idea of his surroundings. He took in the white bed he was laying on, the medical supplies scattered about, the overall cleanliness of the area…

Cloud blinked as he realized that he was in a room _very _similar to the infirmary they had in Shin-Ra. Funny, he thought. Did the Lifestream have infirmaries?

Just as he was trying to make sense of things, a nurse walked in and jumped in surprise when her eyes passed over the waking blonde. "Oh, you're awake! How are you feeling?" She scurried over to his bedside and began the normal procedures used to check on a patient. Cloud sighed as he was being picked and prodded at and made to move her hand away. She ignored him and continued her check up.

"I heard from Mr. Fair that you fell into a Mako spring? That must have been rough. Normally someone who falls into one burns as soon as they hit the water. You're made of tougher stuff for recovering this well, aren't you? Not even a bruise." The nurse—Gina, the name tag read—spoke in awe and confusion.

Cloud ignored her as she chattered on and buried himself in his thoughts, trying to make sense of everything that had happened so far. He remembered seeing Zack, or a ghost of Zack…he saw Shin-Ra troopers…but before that, Cloud thought. He remembered going on a delivery to Mideel, riding Coal, looking at the Lifestream with that other guy…

Cloud jumped in his seat, startling the nurse. Of course!

_Others say it moves through time…_

That explained everything. Somehow, after he fell into the Lifestream, he got dragged through time. Zack… the Shin-Ra troopers…Mideel wasn't gone yet…but just to make sure…

"What year is it?" Cloud asked the nurse, who looked up from examining him. "Huh? Oh, I suppose after a fall like that you would forget." Cloud drummed his fingers against his thigh as he waited for the nurse's reply. "It's 1991." **(A/N: Wikia says that the Wutai War takes place in 1992, so I'm basing this off that)**

Cloud blinked owlishly as he took that in. 12 years…**(Again, I don't know). **The gravity of the situation hit him hard when he realized what that meant. Cloud reeled back in surprise, eyes widening. That meant…he didn't even want to know what that meant, but…

_Sephiroth was alive._

It wasn't just him. _JENOVA _was alive. _Hojo_was alive. Shin-Ra didn't fall yet.

Cloud blanked out, ignoring the nurse's faint calls of "are you OK?" and gripped the sides of the bed tightly, his knuckles going white. He refused to believe that all his efforts, e_verything _he did was useless. They would just keep coming back. When would everyone just _leave him alone!? _He resorted to gripping his head as he realized everything he still had to do.

Kill Sephiroth

Kill JENOVA

Kill Hojo

Kill, Kill, Kill.**  
**  
Is that all Cloud was supposed to do? He was tired of it. He wasn't a "hero," but a failure who cleaned up after his own mistakes. That's when Cloud realized something. He hadn't made those mistakes yet. He had a chance.

Zack was alive. Aerith was alive. Biggs, Wedge and Jessie were alive.

No one had to die anymore. The plate didn't fall yet, either. He could save thousands. But for that, some needed to die first. Cloud tried to calm himself so he could think straight. What if he made another mistake? That would change the entire timeline. He supposed that if Sephiroth was out of the picture, Shin-Ra would destroy the planet eventually. Maybe what had happened was for the better. If that was the case, he could just jump back into the Lifestream and hope to get back to his own timeline, right? He could leave everything in the hands of his past self.

Cloud froze as something dawned on him. If this really _was _the past and not some sick hallucination—which, he realized, was a very real possibility—then that "Sephiroth clone" that he killed so brutally earlier was…

Oops.

Cloud silently cursed himself for his stupidity, ignoring the odd and frantic glances from the nurse who left him as he is and, Cloud mused, supposedly left to get help. If he was gone from this timeline, who would be there to stop both Sephiroth _and _Shin-Ra? That meant that he was forced to stay and settle things. If only he hadn't been so foolish…

Cloud sighed and tried to relax his grip on his head. None of his plans were going to work if he was acting so suspicious. He needed to blend in. Right now, he stood out like a sore thumb. Speaking of standing out, First Tsurugi would sure attract a lot of attention. Wait, where was…?

Cloud scowled at himself. Of course. He left it in Mideel. He would be lucky if the others hadn't found it yet. If they didn't, surely a monster would get to it? Or it would burn in the Mako. He supposed he couldn't do anything about it now, other than try to score another mission in Mideel. With his latest stunt, that was very unlikely.

First things first; he would need a plan. Kill JENOVA first. To kill Hojo would attract a lot of attention, and to kill Sephiroth he needed the right conditions and to make sure that if he lost—which he was going to make sure didn't happen—JENOVA and Hojo were already out of the picture. But before all of that, he needed to remember where he was supposed to be right now.

Cloud sighed as he mentally prepared himself for the long week ahead of him. He supposed he could try to get comfortable in his bed. Cloud eyed the frantic nurses running in to check on him. Clearly, he was going to be here for a while.

* * *

**So~ what do you think? I tried to cut down on the wordiness (which I know, I blab on a lot). If I wasn't successful, don't hesitate to tell me! Review please. And thanks again for reading this, I really appriciate it. My work load is a little less nowadays, and hopefully it stays like that.**

'Till next time!


	3. Back On Track

**Hey, another update! This is a surprise even for me. I mean, three chapters in one week? Woah! Thanks for all the support, guys!  
****  
****_I have some things to talk about here, so listen up! _**  
**  
For one thing, I keep using cadet and trooper. I actually meant cadet. Just pretend they're the same thing.** **:') Also, ignore the dates and ages. I have no idea what I'm talking about either.**

**Another thing. The Cloud you will hear about from now on is FUTURE CLOUD. Cadet Cloud died. Future Cloud killed him on the surface. When he said he saw green and brown, that was the Mideel forest, and he was kind of lucid so he killed him. This chapter will explain more about Cloud and how he looks right now. Might be a little confusing at first, so keep your questions at the ready!**

**Lastly, the story might progress slowly (no matter how much I want to write the climax!). I have the ending ALL planned out, but a lot is going to need to happen to progress to that. The encounter with Sephiroth is not going to happen for a while, so don't ask me. I need some stuff to happen first. I've got stuff up my sleeve, yes :3**

**Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

Zack trudged through the halls, Cloud's items and Mako-covered clothes in hand. Where on the Planet did the kid find high level materia and rare potions? Must be a hobby, he mused. Nevertheless, he was on his way from the infirmary to hunt down the blonde's bunk to put the stuff in, and somewhere to clean the clothes. It was going to be a challenge. That Mako wasn't going anywhere for a while.

Just as he was wondering what to do with the soiled clothing, the raven-haired Second's friend came up from behind him.

"Zack, where are you going?" came his gruff voice from behind.

"Kunsel!" Zack jumped, almost dropping the items in surprise. Said SOLDIER laughed, a deep laugh from the depths of his chest. "Miss me?" He smiled under the SOLDIER helmet he tended to wear.

Zack's hand automatically found its way to the back of his neck. "Ah, I was just going to take Cloud's stuff to his room...wherever that is."

Kunsel glanced at the Mako-covered garments in his hands before looking back up at him. "Cloud?"

Zack nodded."Yeah, Cloud Strife. The cadet I was talking about. The one who fell into the Mako?"

Kunsel nodded his head once in acknowledgement, his helmet bobbing with the movement. He gazed curiously at the garments resting in Zack's hands again. "Not to interfere or anything but...you said Cloud was a cadet, right? Those clothes are part of the First Class uniforms." Zack looked down, analyzing the clothing with newfound interest."Yeah...you're right. But I swear he was wearing the cadet uniform when I last saw him..." He trailed off, face scrunching up in confusion.

Kunsel shook his head. "Must have gotten his hands on it somehow. You know those crazy fans these days." Zack laughed a bit. "Yeah, might have been. But can't he get into trouble for that?" Kunsel smiled. "Not if we burn it first."

Zack gawked at him. "Really?" Kunsel smirked and grabbed the clothing from him. The materia and potions hung limply in a small gray bag from Zack's right arm, which shook as Kunsel ripped the clothes from his hands and held them in front of Zack's face. "You think he'll be able to wear these clothes again?" Zack looked at them sheepishly. "I guess not."

Kunsel thrust the clothing back into Zack's awaiting hands and started forward, slapping Zack's back as he did so. The raven-haired Second gathered his bearings and jogged forward, grinning at Kunsel as he zoomed past him. Zack halted to a stop as he realized he had no idea where he was going. Kunsel slammed into him with a groan. "What are you going?" he asked, peeling himself off of Zack's back.

A pause. "You wouldn't happen to know where Cloud's bunk is, would you?"

Kunsel looked at him oddly. "It's just like you to go zooming off before finding out where the kid lives. Let's go back to the infirmary and ask. You can check up on him while we're there."

Zack grinned at him and ran forward to grab his shoulder. "Good idea, man! I hadn't thought of that. C'mon, let's hurry! He might've woken up!" Kunsel smirked back at him and they walked to the medical wing together.

* * *

Cloud sighed as the nurses ran around, doing tests and the like against his will. He _really _hated doctors. He had continuously tried to convince them that no, he wasn't dying. Yes, he was feeling fine. No, nothing was broken. He wasn't feeling sick. He. Was. FINE. The nurses chose to ignore him after a while, and soon after he stopped wasting his breath and let them run around. Cloud took this time to mull over his time-travel theory. What were the chances that he wasn't just crazy? Everything was so…surreal. As he watched the nurses doing their jobs, he couldn't help but picture everything as it was when he last saw it: in ruins. Cloud grimaced. Yeah, he definitely thought that the Planet was screwing with him. His hand rose to his pale face, his thumb and middle finger gripping the sides of his forehead as he tried to will away the oncoming headache.

If this really _was _real, then Cloud had a second chance. He could change everything, but…did he really have the energy to do it all a second time? There was so much pressure. Just by _existing _and knowing what he knew now changed everything. Cloud groaned inwardly. He supposed that it couldn't be helped.

On the other hand, if the Planet was messing with him and this was all some sort of sick joke meant to give her a good laugh, then did it really matter what he did? Maybe he could just quit Shin-Ra and go be a chocobo breeder or something. He could teach those damn chocobo's not to go flinging their riders off.

It was as he was silently cursing them that one nurse approached him and cleared her throat. Cloud glanced in her direction and waited for her to speak, lowering his hand from his head as he did so. It was Gina, the first nurse he saw when he woke up. She looked a little confused.

"Um, it seems like the Mako gave you all the enhancements a normal SOLDIER would have. It's strange, really. You heal fast, you have increased strength…" she trailed off, deep in thought, before continuing. "It's as if nothing had happened. You're free to go." Cloud narrowed his eyes at her, earning him a shrug from said nurse. It had nothing to do with his latest stunt. Cloud smiled inwardly, glad that his enhancements were still present. But if his enhancements hadn't changed, did that mean he was still infected with JENOVA's cells? That would prove very bad if—when—he went to kill her. Cloud shrugged himself and made to get up before she held him down again. Said blonde looked up, confusion and annoyance swelling in his eyes. "If you feel dizzy or sick, I want you to march right on over here immediately. You are going to be under close supervision with those new enhancements affecting your performance."

Cloud sighed and nodded. He needed to be careful with them keeping tabs on him…_Just what I needed._ He was about to get up when something dawned on him. "Uh, where exactly am I supposed to be right now?" Gina looked at him oddly before resorting back to her professional facade. "Oh, the Mako. It keeps slipping from my mind that you may have forgotten these things. Your bunk is on the cadet floor, which is floor 23. Your room should be in section 2B, number 35." She paused, checking her clipboard to make sure. "No, it's room 36. Once you arrive, your superior should fill you in on the details."

The blonde nodded and waved her off as he made to get up from the bed. He glanced down at his body, noticing that he was now dressed in the cadet uniform. When did he get into those? He frowned. Cloud couldn't help but miss his old clothing, even if he was wearing the SOLDIER First uniform at the time. It was much more comfortable and easier to move in than the cadet uniforms. The clothing must have burned up pretty bad in the Mako, he mused. Shaking off the minor setback, he got up and began making his way out of the infirmary.

Cloud stopped in the washroom before he left to check out his appearance. He stepped into said room, the light shining off of the pristine white walls glaring at him, causing him to squint a little. Cloud froze at the sight that awaited him. He looked…younger. Not as young as he should be, though. Maybe about eighteen instead of the thirteen he was supposed to be or the twenty-five he mentally was. _The work of the Lifestream…_The Lifestream always had surprises in store. Everyone reacted differently to the liquid green. That didn't change the fact that his movements were a little more awkward. Cloud was also appalled at the scrawny little arms dangling at his sides. There was some muscle, but not nearly as much as he had before. Cloud frowned at his image, calculating how much training he needed to get back to his normal physique. His eyes still glowed, signalling that the Mako was still there. It was better than his scrawny thirteen-year-old self, he mused. With what seemed like the umpteenth time, he sighed and turned to leave the washroom, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Just as he turned the corner to escape the hustle and bustle of the doctors and nurses behind him, the blonde found himself ambushed by a tall SOLDIER with raven hair.

"Hey, buddy, you're alright!" The intruder grinned, tightening his grip on the blonde. Cloud struggled to get out of the monstrous grip and, with strength that took years to build, roughly pushed the man off. He stumbled back, surprised. Cloud froze as he took in the spiky black hair, the chiselled features, the grin that never seemed to leave his face…

He choked back a sob looking at the friend who sacrificed everything for him, just so he could live. Cloud wished to say something, anything to show how much he appreciated it…but he knew he couldn't. This Zack doesn't know him yet, Cloud thought, his heart sinking. It took a whole lot of self control to keep his mouth shut and his emotions under control, which Cloud barely managed to do.

Zack looked down at him, a little confused, before frowning. It broke Cloud's heart to see him frown, no matter what the cause was. Zack opened his mouth to speak, before shutting it again. Cloud waited for him to say something. Finally, the silence was broken.

"Hey, I'm _really _sorry, it's my fault you fell into the Mako, I'm sosososososo _sorry, _I shouldn't have let it happen, I—"Zack cut himself off at the look of pure horror on Cloud's face. Said blonde couldn't take it anymore. Looking at Zack now, all he could picture was the thick, warm blood running off of his face, pooling at the sides and mixing with the acid water falling from the gloomy sky. He could see those lifeless eyes gazing up at him, the bullet holes littering his chest. He remembered sitting by his side, helpless, knowing he couldn't save him…

Cloud clenched his fists, willing himself to relax. This Zack was alive. He wasn't going to let him die. He _could _save him. Zack continued to stare at him, a look of hurt covering his features. Cloud's heart sank further at the realization that it was him who put it there.

Zack bowed his head. "I'm sorry, really…I should have done something, I…I'm _really really _sorry…can you ever forgive me?" He pouted. Cloud forced himself to smile a bit, but it came out as more of a grimace. He breathed deeply for a bit before trying again. Yep, that was a smile, although small.

"You don't have to apologize, Za—I mean, sir," Cloud caught himself before saying said SOLDIER Second's name, remembering that he wasn't friends with this Zack yet, "it was my fault, anyways. You were only doing your job. I should have stayed away from the spring until further instruction."

Zack wasn't reassured. "Are you sure? I feel terri—"He was cut off as a gloved hand gently touched his shoulder. That was when Cloud noticed the other SOLDIER Second behind Zack. He looked familiar. With the helmet covering most of his features, Cloud couldn't quite place who he was. He racked his brain for Zack's memories. Kunsel, he realized. He was Zack's best friend.

Kunsel gave Cloud a soft smile before looking back at his raven-haired friend. "Zack, leave the poor kid alone. It really wasn't your fault. And Strife," here he looked at Cloud, "don't beat yourself up over it." He gave another soft smile before his gaze turned calculating. Cloud narrowed his eyes. "Hey, is it just me, or do you look a little older for a cadet your age?" Zack turned his gaze on Cloud as well. "Huh…you're right, Kunsel."

They stood that way for a bit, Cloud staring back at them. He hoped to the Planet that by looking older, he wasn't being suspicious. He groaned inwardly at the realization that before he could do anything, he needed to lay low and make sure he was out of Shin-Ra's radar.

After a while Zack and Kunsel shrugged and turned to leave, but Zack remembered something and turned on his heel. "I almost forgot! Here's your stuff." Zack thrust the bag into Cloud arms and grinned at him. "Where on the Planet did you get all those potions and materia?"

Cloud looked back at him sheepishly. "It's…um…a hobby. Yeah." He silently scolded himself at the obvious show of hesitancy. That would have to go if he wanted to be believable.

Zack didn't seem to notice it and instead grinned wider, if that was possible. "I knew it! Keep it up, buddy." Cloud tried a grin of his own, but after failing simply waved a little and turned to go. Kunsel reached over to grab his arm, halting Cloud's retreat. He needed to _go._ If he stayed any longer in Zack's company, something was going to slip.

"Hey, you want your clothes back?" Kunsel gestured awkwardly to the pile of charred clothing in Zack's hands. Cloud gazed at the garments uninterestedly. "Can't you…uh…burn it or something? I don't think I can wear those again." The raven-haired Second looked delighted, and Kunsel laughed. "Alright, alright. We were going to anyways. You want to come with? They're _your _clothes." Cloud frowned. That was a bad idea. All he wanted to do was to crawl into his room and mull over everything that happened and everything he still needed to do.

The blonde shook his head slowly, flicking his eyes at a nearby clock to signal that he was late for something. Kunsel shrugged and, with one last smile, turned to leave. Zack stood a little awkwardly for a bit, his gaze flicking from Cloud to Kunsel guiltily. Cloud turned to leave as well, throwing a quick "thanks for everything" over his shoulder before bolting. He didn't notice the grin spreading across Zack's face before said SOLDIER ran to catch up with his friend. Nor did Zack notice the secret meaning behind those words.

* * *

Sergeant Jackson waltzed down the hall, papers in hand. His curly brown hair was short enough that it didn't invade his vision as he glanced down to analyse the documents. Cloud Strife, the name on the top of the paper read. Underneath it rested a picture of said cadet. He scowled. How did someone who looked so weak and so pathetic have made it into the cadet program, let alone want to join SOLDIER? The kid looked like a drowned cat. He analysed the information underneath, hoping to get some idea of what the boy was like. Jackson never made to get to know him in his classes. The blonde was hopeless with a sword and tripped over his own two feet. It was highly unlikely that the Mako the idiot fell into gave him enhancements of any kind. He was surprised Strife didn't die or something.

Why then, did the doctors insist he keep the boy under his supervision for a while? Maybe it was just that. They probably thought the kid would collapse at any moment. Jackson smirked. That would be very amusing to watch.

The information underneath was nothing interesting. He was from some nowhere town called Nibelheim—_How fitting_—he was thirteen years of age—_Kid looks eleven_—his weapon of preference was a sword…Hah, thought Jackson. Like that was going to happen.

Just as he rounded the corner to head to his office, Jackson almost crashed right into some punk…with spiky, yellow hair. The kid looked up at him and backed off, mumbling something that sounded like an apology before moving to run off again.

"Strife!" he yelled, grabbing said blonde's arm to keep him grounded. Cloud was unfazed, meeting eyes evenly with the tough Sergeant. Jackson narrowed his eyes. "Where are you off to?" Cloud didn't hesitate to answer. "To my room, sir," he said calmly, if not a little irritated. Jackson scrutinized the blonde up and down. Huh, maybe the Mako did do something, he thought. The once pathetic, sorry excuse of a cadet now looked a little stronger and more confident, if not a little older…he looks about sixteen, he mused. But surely cadets couldn't change overnight, even with a sudden boost of Mako?

Jackson eyed the dangling sack from Cloud's hands. "What's that?" he asked. Cloud hesitated a little before answering. "Uh, these are my things, sir. I…" A pause. "They were on my person before I…before my accident. Za—SOLDIER Fair had them with him, so he gave it to me after I woke up. May I leave now?" He looked very impatient. Sergeant Jackson was asked to watch him, not interrogate the poor boy. He grimaced. "Okay, but don't go running in the hallways. If I see you crashing into things again, you've earned yourself a detention, alright, Strife?" he barked.

Cloud nodded sharply before walking off, albeit a little hurriedly. Jackson watched his retreating figure for a while before yelling out "You're barrack is the other way, cadet!" Cloud stopped immediately in his tracks, then turned on his heel and strode the other way, right towards the Sergeant again. As Cloud rushed past him, Jackson stuck out his foot, meaning to trip the clumsy cadet. He knew it was unethical, but it was too good to pass up. That's why he was surprised when the blonde swiftly sidestepped his extended limb and continued on forward. He didn't say anything more and he watched the retreating figure of the blonde again, making a mental note to watch the boy more closely.

* * *

**Enjoy that? If anything is confusing, don't hesitate to ask! Hopefully things will clear up soon. 'Till next time!**


	4. Unplanned meeting

**Here is another awaited chapter, everyone. I am overjoyed with the love I am receiving for this story! Seriously, thanks a bunch.  
There's not much I have to say about this chapter, other than a little meeting which the reviews have given me the idea for. Heh.  
Also, after the introduction stuff is out of the way...well, a pretty big event is coming up. One of which is not so big, but that will lead up to a VERY big event which will therefore lead to an even BIGGER event.**  
**But be patient, my dear readers. :3**

**To roy23:**

**No, Cloud's body changed because of the Lifestream, but he didn't really "replace" his old self, just killed it and kind of took over. It's not like other stories where Aerith or the Planet had a say, but more like pure accidental. It's not another dimension either, but a different timeline. If he hadn't killed his past self, there would have been two Clouds. Whatever he does changes the future of that timeline, so it is now altered. Also, this chapter explains what materia he has. I admit, it's kind of overkill, but after Emerald WEAPON and stuff, Cloud would probably carry it everywhere.**  
**  
Enjoy this chapter! :)**

* * *

Finally within the confines of his room, Cloud let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding in. It was about lunchtime, which meant that he had the room all to himself for a bit. He examined his living quarters, trying to pinpoint which bed was his. As Cloud's eyes scanned the rows of bunks, he noticed that amongst the messy, unkempt beds lay one tidied with military precision. Yeah, that was definitely his. Cloud vaguely remembered thinking that if he kept his bed in good condition, he would impress his superiors. He grimaced; how wrong he had been.

Cloud made his way over to the bunk. The bed on the bottom was his. Next to each bunk bed laid two greenish metallic bins stacked on top of one another. Just like his bed, he opened the bottom drawer only to be greeted with an unpleasant sight. Had Cloud reallycollected _this _many pictures of Shin-Ra's _precious _General?

He scowled at the posters and articles with much vigour, picking them up as if Sephiroth himself personally spat on them. The poor papers never knew what was coming as Cloud unforgivably tore them to shreds and shoved them into the nearest waste bin. He then spat onto the pile, drowning in the satisfaction that came with it. Done with the papers, Cloud made his way back to the bed, feeling somewhat better. He reached for the gray bag that he had carelessly placed onto the floor and emptied the contents onto the bed. The blonde sifted through the pile, making sure that nothing was missing.

After checking that yes, nothing was gone, Cloud stood back to gaze at the last physical memories he had of his old life. The materia he possessed was of the highest value; he had Master Summon, Master Command and Master Magic, curtsy of Emerald WEAPON. Cloud smiled a soft, bittersweet smile at the memories that came with the dangerous WEAPON's name. It was one fast attacker, and he recalled being constantly yelled at (mostly Cid's doing) for getting their sorry asses killed time and time again. Many Phoenix Downs were sacrificed during that difficult battle. He never left the house without that materia; it was much simpler than cramming tons of materia onto his person.

Of course, if Zack actually _had _looked through his materia, he probably wouldn't have been able to recognize it as a Master, but simply a high level summon, command or magic materia that he could not quite place.

Along with the materia, Cloud had with him a variety of potions, the most prominent a few Megalixers. He also had a few sturdy bottles containing the water used to cure Geostigma in case he ran across a few of the victims after the entire ordeal with Kadaj, Loz and Yazoo. Missing amongst his possessions was Cloud's precious First Tsurugi. Above all else, he missed that sword. Cloud frowned in thought, his brows furrowing. He needed to find some way to get his sword back. That would have to wait, though. Clearly, he wasn't going anywhere for a while.

The blonde sighed, defeated, as he bent under his bed to analyse the floor. If he wanted to lay low, he certainly couldn't waltz around carrying rare materia and uncommon potions, and he didn't trust his "bunkmates" to stay out of his stuff. Cloud wanted to see if he could fashion something into the floor to hide the valuable items that he had in his possession. His hands ran over the grooves of the cold wooden floor, pressing his ear against said floor while he racked his knuckles on the ground, listening intently.

_ Tck. _The sound echoed slightly, signalling that the floor was hollow. Cloud smirked—thank the Planet for Shin-Ra's budget cuts—and moved back, reaching behind him to grab a sword that wasn't there. His smirk disappeared off his face in an instant as his hand grabbed nothing but air. He stood there for a bit, contemplating his other options. Soon he reached for his Master Magic materia and bent to the floor, casting a very light fire spell which ignited a small but strong flame onto the tip of his finger. He used the weapon like a pointed laser cutter and burned a neat rectangle into the floor. Cloud then ended the spell and gently tossed the materia back onto the bed before prying the rectangle out to place to the side. He peered in and smirked when he saw a nice, wide space just asking to hold his stuff. The blonde stood up and proceeded to transfer said items into the space, grinning at his sudden luck.

Just as he placed the last of his items inside and secured the lid again, the door to his barrack slammed open. Cloud bolted upright and spun his head around, fearing he'd been caught, but was relieved to find the offending party intrigued in their own complaining. He studied the group as they waltzed in, oblivious of his presence. There were four of them, two of whom were bulky and big and the other two strong but more agile looking, though not at all as weak as Cloud probably looked. From the two big ones, one had black, slightly curly hair and the other was a fine-haired dirty blonde. The more agile ones both possessed dark brown hair, but one had wavy hair and the other's was very tightly curled.

"The entrance exams are so fucking close!" the black-haired one complained, "They didn't teach us _shit!_" Cloud froze as that statement left the boy's mouth. Were the entrance exams closer than he thought? That gave him even less time to train…_Just my luck! _he thought, gritting his teeth.

"You got it easy, Sehk" mumbled the smaller one with the wavy hair. He looked bummed, and he turned to the other strong cadet as the one named Sehk grumbled something under his breath, "Just look at you guys! Matt and you are so _huge!_" The boy—Giriko, Cloud heard Sehk mumble—noticed Cloud just as that statement left his mouth. Cloud frowned as the boy's eyes brightened mischievously. The others jerked their heads in his direction and grinned. Cloud was sure it wasn't welcoming. "Heh, but Justin and I are practically as strong as _Sephiroth _at his _best_ compared to this idiot." Cloud's face darkened at the statement, but went unnoticed by the other cadets. They slithered towards him threateningly, and Sehk stepped forward.

"Hey, _Cloud. _Word is you have Mako enhancements now, is that right? Huh? You think yo— _look at me when I'm talking to you,_ dumbass!" Cloud focused his eyes on the wall behind the cadets, afraid that if he looked at them when they were mocking him with Sephiroth, he was going to hurt them. _They're just boys_, he tried to reason with himself. Ignoring the other boy clearly enraged him, and Sehk reached over to grab Cloud's shirt, forcing the blonde to look up. Cloud stared at Sehk fiercely, shooting ice through his eyes.

"Heh, upset we insulted your little hero? Is that it?" Cloud willed as much self control as he could muster and just barely contained himself. It was better not to start a fight and attract attention that he couldn't afford right now. "You're just a damn _puppet, _always following Seph—"

A fist flew at his face before Sehk could complete his thought, forcing the raven-haired cadet to release the blonde. Cloud prepared to strike again, but was stopped mid-swing when the other boys jumped at him. The blonde jumped back himself, prepared to launch into a full battle. Cloud was beyond angry now and fuelled that rage into his attacks, boys be damned. The blonde was quickly losing his first desire not to harm the cadets, and now wanted them to pay for the comment. He drove a fist towards the nearest cadet, Matt, who just barely dodged and countered with a kick to Cloud's abdomen. The blonde stopped the attack with his arm as he pushed him off and swung around to block another attack executed by Justin. Giriko and Matt attacked simultaneously as Justin gathered himself up. Cloud slid under their outstretched arms, which were rapidly approaching his face and chest, and he ran forward to land a blow on the one who dared call him a puppet. Sehk had no time to dodge as the blonde's fist connected with the dark haired cadet's face, dead centre.

The other cadets stopped in their tracks as they watched blood fly out of their friend's nose. Cloud smirked in satisfaction but then turned around and glared at the others, daring them to fight. They looked at each other nervously, and looked at Cloud strangely. Their eyes flickered between him and their fallen comrade.

And then they ran forward.

* * *

The inside of Sephiroth's office was anything but cozy; it reflected his passion for perfection. The majority of it was gray like the rest of Shin-Ra was, with a big metal desk taking up almost the entire right side of the room. Everything was neat and organized with not a single loose document inside. Sephiroth believed that decorations were a waste of space and preferred to keep everything simple and to the point. He also favoured to keep everything clean and sharp. The overall effect was somewhat eerie, as it felt void of life with all the gray and lack of personality.

It was in this room that Angeal sat across from Sephiroth, who was typing away on the Shin-Ra issue high-speed computer sitting on his desk, which was currently covered in neat piles of paperwork. Angeal watched his fellow colleague and friend tap away on his computer irritably, and waited patiently for the silver-haired General to finish.

Soon Sephiroth pushed aside the computer and frowned at the remaining piles of work on his desk. Angeal watched as he lifted a pale hand to his forehead and grasped it, sighing impatiently. Angeal cleared his throat and opened his mouth to speak, but Sephiroth beat him to it.

"Why is it that _I'm_ the one to receive the paperwork for the cadets? Isn't that Lazard's job?" he grumbled, glaring at the paperwork as if he could will it to go away. Angeal nodded sympathetically, for he also received paperwork that should have been assigned to someone more appropriate. The raven-haired SOLDIER First glanced back to the computer and then back to Sephiroth, who reached over to pluck a sheet off the top of the pile.

The General's eyes skimmed across the paper quickly before he tossed the offending document with disgust back onto his desk, gesturing for the other SOLDIER to have a look. Angeal gently picked up the paper, reading the words on the page. He then set it aside, his face twisted into one of bewilderment. "_This _is what they send you?" He raised a hand to cover his mouth, trying to suppress his laughter. Sephiroth didn't find it very funny, and his gaze sharpened. "I didn't know Cadet Hither was homosexual" Angeal laughed, before meeting gazes with Sephiroth and trying to calm down. The General rolled his eyes, mumbling something low enough that Angeal's enhanced hearing couldn't quite catch. The SOLDIER First reached over to read another report, and Sephiroth watched his movements as he read the paper now held in his hands.

Sephiroth watched as Angeal's eyes sparked with recognition. "Take a look at this." Sephiroth, now interested, took the document from Angeal's hands and began to read as his friend explained. "This is the cadet who I told you about, the one who fell into the Mako in Mideel. It turns out the Mako gave him enhancements…" Sephiroth narrowed his eyes in disbelief and skimmed the page quicker. Sure enough, there it was. He was required to sign the paper so the cadet could be monitored closer. The General's eyes landed on the boy's name and photo. Cloud Strife, he read. Sephiroth frowned at the pathetic looking boy in the photograph. He pointed the picture out to Angeal.

"How could someone like _this _have made it into the cadet program?" he questioned, looking at the picture with disgust. Angeal frowned as well. "With a little training, who knows what he—"

"Are you kidding me? Not even enhancements could save him," Sephiroth shot back. Angeal's frown deepened at his friend's remark. It was typical, he mused, that Sephiroth wouldn't give anyone a chance at proving their worth. He shrugged and stood, planning to leave. "Are you going to sign it?" he asked. Sephiroth looked away uninterestedly. "No, there is no need. I am almost certain there won't be any effects," he answered, not realizing that he just did Cloud a huge favour. Angeal nodded and turned to leave, but turned back around as he remembered something.

"Are you coming tonight?" Angeal asked his silver haired friend, hope glinting in his eyes. He'd been asking Sephiroth to come to his apartment for quite awhile now, but the General's work constantly interfered. Silence ensued as Sephiroth thought, before looking back up at Angeal and nodding. Said SOLDIER smiled before waving a goodbye and exiting the room, shutting the door gently behind him. His stomach grumbled just as the door shut, and Angeal pondered getting a snack or getting his work done. His work had been neglected for awhile now, but…his stomach grumbled again. A snack couldn't hurt, right?

Angeal made his way to the cadet cafeteria. Zack would be in the SOLDIER lunchroom about now, and he didn't want to deal with the puppy's energy at the moment. To get to the cadet cafeteria, he would half to walk past their barracks. He grimaced. The cadet barracks were full of star struck individuals, and Angeal was forced to deal will the possibility of running into meetings with said cadets. He was grateful that so many people liked him, but the fans were getting crazier every day. According to Zack, some cadet even got a hold of a First Class uniform. How, he didn't even want to know.

Nevertheless, hunger won over reluctance and he headed through the cadet barracks to make his way to the cafeteria. He stopped to pull out his key card in front of section 2B and, with a quick swipe, stepped through. As the raven-haired SOLDIER First walked down the narrow hallway, his enhanced hearing could pick out yelling of some sort. Curious, he increased his pace until he landed in front of a beige doorway with the number 36 written on it. The noise was even louder now, and it certainly didn't sound happy. If he didn't know any better, Angeal could have sworn it sounded like…fighting? Yes, there was definitely some harsh contact being made. Concerned for the cadets, Angeal tried the doorknob before he decided to kick it down, just in case it was open. He was relieved to find it was, and quickly swung the door open.

The sight that greeted him wasn't pleasant.

The first thing Angeal noticed was the blood. There was a lot of it, coating both the floor and the room's occupants. Said room was a mess, with furniture turned over and the bed sheets out of place. His eyes then trailed over to the cadets who were engaged in a rather brutal battle. The cadet that Sephiroth identified as weak and pathetic was pounding four other, tougher cadets into the ground. One which Angeal identified as Sehk—a boy who excelled in his sword fighting classes—was huddled on the floor in the corner, grabbing at his bleeding nose and what appeared to be a broken ribcage. The other cadets—Matt, Giriko and Justin—were attempting to fight Cadet Cloud Strife, but were quickly losing. There was no time to evaluate or examine Strife's abilities; the fight needed to be stopped before someone got hurt. Angeal stared, stunned, before launching into action.

"**ENOUGH!**" Angeal yelled in both anger and concern. The cadets Strife was fighting were sustaining serious injuries and if it wasn't put to a stop there was a chance the cadets would not heal. The SOLDIER First raced forward and grabbed Strife, who seemed to be dealing out the majority of the injuries. His hand shot forward to block a blow by Matt which would have hit Angeal in his abdomen if he hadn't stopped it. The other two cadets stopped in their tracks and even Strife stopped struggling. Angeal pushed the spiky-haired cadet forward and stepped back, hands on his hips.

"There better be a good reason why you boys are fighting. I want an explanation," the SOLDIER First commanded. Strife gazed at Angeal sheepishly before pointing a finger at the other cadets. "They called me a puppet," he said lamely. The other boys fidgeted under Angeal's dark gaze, which he eventually fixed on Cloud.

His stare turned disapproving. "Even do, does that give you permission to harm these boys?" He gestured to the others and pointedly looked at Sehk, who was probably going to need serious medical attention. Cloud looked around as well, seemingly shocked as if he'd just noticed the damage. His next words confirmed Angeal's suspicions. "I…I didn't mean to harm them _that_ much…" he trailed off. Angeal looked at him worriedly. Perhaps the Mako did do something, he mused. The poor boy probably didn't know his own strength.

Before Angeal decided what to do with them, the boys needed medical attention. "You," he pointed to Cloud, "help Sehk up. The rest of you, come with me. You all need to go straight to the infirmary." He began to walk out before turning around at the doorway to make sure the others were listening. The three cadets jumped into action, but to Angeal's displeasure Cloud was still staring at him with a sort of faraway look, almost as if the SOLDIER were a ghost. It was unsettling.

"Strife."

Cloud jumped a little and glanced warily at the finger pointing to Sehk. Nevertheless, the spiky-headed cadet walked over and helped the other cadet to his feet. Satisfied but a little unnerved, Angeal began to head to the infirmary, the other boys trailing behind him.

* * *

**Like? If you have any questions, feel free to review! Thanks for the love, until next time. :D ShooTheOtherGuy, out!**


	5. Curiosity

**Sorry for the delay, fellow fanfictioners! Fanfiction wasn't working for me. Also, writer's block can be a killer. Which reminds me, to aviod that, I have some gaps in the story here and there so if you want to see anything happen, don't hesitate to review or PM me. :D**

**To roy23:**  
**Oh, no promises. I have plans :D And also, don't worry about the sword :3 Something is coming up.**

**To Mreaca:**  
**Hm, sweet idea. Infilterating Shin-Ra or finding AVALANCHE? Oh, you'll see :3**

**To Nineveh03:**  
**I realize some topics are similar, and am now trying to keep things original. I guess after reading every time travel fic out there, some ideas just got planted into my head, so sorry for that. Oh, and the fight was in Cloud's baracks, not the cafeteria :3**

**Also, fellow readers, you might need to be patient for the next update. It might be late.**

**To the story!**

* * *

Today was not Cloud's day.

Once they arrived at the infirmary, the nurses immediately swept Sehk away, and the other cadets filed neatly behind another nurse. Cloud tried to sneak away—most of his injuries were healed, anyways—but Angeal grabbed the back of his shirt before he could. Boy, did Cloud ever feel like a little kid again. It wasn't a feeling he liked very much; he was a warrior!

The SOLDIER First pulled him into one of the infirmary's empty rooms and released Cloud. Angeal then fixed a disapproving stare onto the blonde-haired cadet, waiting for him to speak. Cloud remained rigid and returned Angeal's stare with a determined one of his own, although he was feeling his own conflicting thoughts inside. Cloud never knew the man personally, but he was overwhelmed with all kinds of memories, thanks to Zack. The blonde-haired cadet was having a lot of trouble keeping his sanity in control with Zack's beloved mentor, who looked so much like said SOLDIER. Angeal frowned at Cloud's level stare and opened his mouth to speak. Cloud didn't say a word and instead waited patiently for the man to gather his thoughts.

"What you did was not very honourable." Of course. He should have expected this.

After receiving no response, Angeal continued, "I understand they may have bothered you, but that is absolutely no reason you should be allowed to harm them the way you did," Cloud opened his mouth to counter, but Angeal beat him to it, "The punishment for harming fellow cadets is severe; however, under the circumstances I will let this one slide…but not without some form of punishment. You will be required to spend a week in detention with Sergeant Jackson, understand?"

Yes, today was definitely not his day.

Cloud nodded his head meekly, his gaze never leaving Angeal's own. Cloud tried to keep his calm, but inside he was irritated. Why must everyone get in his way? With detention sitting on his head, Cloud would lose precious training time, not to mention he'd be put under close watch and it would look very bad if he wanted to get into SOLDIER _(But did he?)._ He did have one question on his mind, though.

"What circumstances?" He frowned. Shin-Ra had very strict rules. There was no reason why Angeal would let _him _of all people go, right? Cloud silently cursed himself. How much attention did he get? He studied Angeal with narrowed eyes, trying to understand _why. _He didn't have to wait long, though.

Angeal placed a hand on Cloud's shoulder. He looked up, confusion swelling in his big, blue eyes. "Your new enhancements. With someone of your…build, the enhancements would certainly come as a shock. You don't know your own strength." Cloud kept his gaze steady, although he frowned inwardly. What Angeal said hit too close to home. Cloud really didn't know his own strength, at least not now. He wasn't familiar with the full extent of this 'new' body. He still had some questions, though.

"I understand, but…I am a cadet. Enhancements are strictly for SOLDIERs. Where do I stand?"

The raven-haired SOLDIER First frowned, confusion dancing within his own eyes. He then sighed, lifting his hand from Cloud's shoulder and letting it hang limply to the side. "That's the problem. We cannot put you in SOLDIER, and I am reluctant to leave you as a cadet. There are too many risks…" He trailed off, before seemingly coming to a conclusion. "I may have to consult with the General."

Today was certainly not his day.

Cloud's face immediately darkened and he gritted his teeth, trying to keep his calm. The _hatred _he felt at his once-idol's name crashed down around him, and he wanted nothing more than to find Sephiroth and see to it that he died a painful death. The silver-haired demon had simply killed too many people, done too much damage for Cloud to forgive him that easily, JENOVA or no JENOVA; Hojo or no Hojo. Cloud's hatred would never change, even in a different timeline where the damage hadn't been done yet. Sephiroth was still Sephiroth. Cloud would see to it that he died.

Wait. Did Sephiroth even run SOLDIER? He was just the General.

Cloud looked at Angeal, whose eyes were mixed with different emotions: confusion, suspicion, worry…that wasn't good. He tried to calm down and find his voice again. "Why the General? Isn't…" Cloud racked his brain for the name, "Director…Lizard, responsible?" he finished through clenched teeth. Angeal looked at him oddly. "Director _Lazard _is very busy, so by default Sephiroth is in charge. Is there a problem?"

Yes, today was proving not to be his day.

Cloud mentally cursed himself, but for the sake of looking somewhat sane he tried to sober up and smile. Of course, it failed miserably, but it was something, right? "No, sir." Angeal looked anything but satisfied with the answer, but shrugged it off and turned to leave. "You will resume your duties as a cadet until further notice," he said before walking out the door. Cloud stared dejectedly at the man's retreating back—or more importantly, the sword that hung there—and wished more than ever for First Tsurugi. Angeal stopped in his tracks and turned his head slightly, causing Cloud to straighten up again.

"Embrace your dreams, and whatever you do, protect you honour. As SOLDIER. As a cadet. As a friend. And please, don't hurt them again," Angeal's voice grew mocking near the end and he offered Cloud a small smile before leaving the room and shutting the door softly

For a while Cloud simply stood, staring at the closed door with no apparent emotion on his soft features. He then ran a hand through his hair in exasperation when his eye caught the clock. Where was he supposed to be right now? Not here, he thought bitterly. None of this was right. Cloud was still struggling with the fact that he was apparently back in time, even though he wouldn't admit it to himself. It was so surreal, running into Zack, then Angeal, both of whom were supposed to be dead

Then something hit him, hard, just as it had been doing all day.

Sephiroth.

What was he supposed to do about him? Cloud's first thought was to kill him, but that thought was dwindling, fast. He didn't want to kill anymore. JENOVA and Hojo were an exception to that, but…He could give him a chance, right? See how things played out. But something within Cloud disregarded that thought entirely. What if Sephiroth was too close to the brink of insanity to save? What if things went wrong…again? They tended to with Cloud. He gripped his head in exasperation. What was he going to do? Kill him or not? He couldn't seem to reach a conclusion. Hatred battled with reserve.

The blonde sighed. Whatever he was going to do, it would have to be done later. If he wanted to do something, it certainly wouldn't help to get another detention. For now, he decided to consult with Sergeant Jackson regarding the detentions. Cloud's eyes brightened when he realized he could score detention in the gym, but thin blonde eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Even so, the training rooms could be viewed by unwanted company, and he wasn't about to gain more suspicions about his "new talent."

Maybe, thought Cloud, he could find another way to train. The gym was perfect to build his strength, and he could find somewhere else to test his other skills in private. The problem was where…but Cloud thought he knew just the place to do it. He would have to plan carefully, but it was possible…

Just as the warrior gathered his thoughts and prepared to leave, someone burst into the room. Cloud glanced up in surprise, suddenly alert and took in the room's other occupant.

Blue eyes widened.

Then darkened.

"Hojo—!"

Today was _not _Cloud's day.

* * *

Piles of documents lay scattered about as Director Lazard hunched over his laptop, flipping through multiple reports. Turns out something was amiss down at the Gold Saucer. He rolled his eyes when he caught the owner's name, Dio, in every report. That man really liked to stir up trouble.

No matter, thought Lazard as he began organizing the papers; it was nothing a SOLDIER and some cadets couldn't handle. Apparently some monsters from the haunted house section escaped—thanks to Dio, of course—and were causing a ruckus in the area. The hyper citizens and workers in and around the gold saucer seemed to love to bombard Shin-Ra with reports.

This was where the Director had been all week—much to the General's displeasure, as Lazard knew from the threatening voice mails he's received—dealing with hundreds of random reports that had been appearing sporadically all across the map. He had been departing SOLDIERs left and right, and Sephiorht seemed to have a problem with this as well. Why the silver-haired man insisted on keeping his SOLDIERs stationed at Shin-Ra was a mystery, but he suspected it was Sephiroth's inability to do anything about it, and the man loved his power. Lazard frowned. The power was getting to Sephiroth's head, and if he wasn't careful…his mind was unstable as it was…

Or it could be revenge. Lazard had sent all his extra paper work to Sephiroth, and it wasn't a little bit, either.

Shaking the quickly darkening thoughts from his head, the Director's lips flattened as he regarded the work that lay in front of him. He should be choosing who to recruit for this mission. Time was of the essence.

Lazard pulled up the schedules for the available cadets and SOLDIERs, skimming through the page for those who would be available ASAP. His frown deepened when he noted that most of them were not. That limited his options.

_Ah here we are! _thought the Director with a small smile, his glasses glinting from the glare of the laptop screen. Genesis Rhapsodos, otherwise known as Gen, GR, Commander Rhapsodos, G, Rhapps, Hothead, and his personal favourite, Mr. LOVELESS.

Genesis was, in a sense, overkill, but the cadets needed the experience. On the other hand, the red-head needed his own experience when it came to working with those inferior to him. It was a win-win situation.

Now, for the cadets. He made sure to avoid recruiting anyone that could set the Commander's temper off,_ but surely that shouldn't be a problem_, thought the Director.

"Cadet John…Cadet Yusuf…Cadet Sehk…" he paused at the last name. Sehk could be a pest, but he had potential. Lazard transferred the name to a separate list before skimming through the first one again.

After gathering another cadet—Cadet Kolter—to add to his list, the Director went back to skimming for one more name. With the Commander present, three cadets were plenty. His eyes caught a familiar name: Cloud Strife, he read, the boy who fell into Mako. Lazard clucked his tongue in curiosity when he came across a tid-bit of information from the medical ward.

Since when did a fall into potentially lethal Mako give a cadet _enhancements?_

He stared at the information. _Cadet Cloud Strife possesses enhancements that are unusually strong and stable for a cadet._

He read it again. _Cadet Cloud Strife possesses enhancements that are unusually strong and stable for a cadet._

What on the Planet was this? He understood the enhancements. Although unlikely, it wasn't impossible. What gave him strong and stable enhancements, though? _That _was impossible. If Strife felt sick then it would have made a lot of sense. He switched windows and pulled out the medical reports, entering "Strife, Cloud" into the search engine. What he found increased his curiosity. Apparently, he was perfectly fine; very healthy, in fact. The amount of Mako Strife possessed was unknown, as they could not get to the bottom of it before he woke up and insisted on leaving. That was interesting, and meant that Cloud was chock full of Mako. He could not get any more details than that, and the rest of the report was on useless information like the boy's height, weight, blood pressure, etc., none of which were Lazard's area of expertise and therefore made no sense to him.

He transferred the name to his list of recruitments, wanting the Commander to judge his abilities. That made three cadets and one SOLDIER. He sent the email to Genesis and sent out a notice to the other cadets. They were to leave in two days, first thing in the morning. He saved his work and shut the laptop softly, adjusting his seat to the side to sift through the now neatened pile of documents. After all, Lazard had other reports to handle.

* * *

The email lay opened on the screen, its contents seemingly mocking the red-clad Commander who attempted to glare a hole through his open Shin-Ra issue laptop.

Genesis stared incredulously at the message he received from the Director. Was Lazard seriously asking him, the _Commander, _to go on a measly mission to the Gold Saucer with three c_adets? _He continued to glare at the screen, willing the notice to go away. He was not about to babysit mere cadets. That would be a complete waste of his time.

Genesis huffed out a sigh and swiftly typed out a reply to Director Lazard entailing his refusal of the mission. As if expecting the message, Lazard replied back instantly, claiming that Genesis had no say in the matter.

Just as he was about to hurl a Level 3 Firaga at the unsuspecting computer, Zack's voice wafted into his office, unnecessarily loud. Genesis stopped to listen, hopefully catching something to get the SOLDIER Second in the trouble he deserved.

"Man, Mako is one flammable goo." Jackpot. Without thinking, Genesis swiftly lifted himself from the chair and strode toward his closed office door, hand lingering on the knob. He stood, waiting to see if the puppy would say more. As if the Goddess was listening to his unspoken calls, someone with Zack chose to speak.

"You said it. I haven't seen something burn that fast or that much since…well, since the Commander unleashed a Level 3 Firaga on your poor PHS."

Very funny.

But of course the jokes weren't going to end there. Genesis could practically hear Angeal's puppy rubbing the back of his neck. "Not my fault I have friends. Lately he's been blowing up more stuff than usual. Remember that identification scanner?"

"Hell yeah! That was pretty rough. Burned through the entire door…and the hallway. And the door at the other end of the hallway. But that wasn't nearly as bad as the—"

Before they could find more events to comment on, the red-clad Commander burst through the door, a scowl pressed deep into his features. Both boys froze before jumping to attention, albeit a little sloppily.

"Commander, sir!" they said in unison. They exchanged a glance between them, or appeared to—Zack's friend had his eyes covered—then looked back at him warily. Genesis glared at them, eyes narrowed. He chose to ignore the glance and instead jumped right into questioning them.

"_Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess. _What is this about Mako? Enlighten me."

Zack went paled faced at the accusation before sobering up again. "Um, we were just taking care of Cloud's clothes, you know, because he—"

"You burned someone's clothes?" Genesis's eyes flared. Zack cowered under his gaze and his companion appeared to frown, although it was hard to decipher his emotions through the Shin-Ra issue helmet he wore.

"No, uh, yes, I mean—" Zack cut himself off and glanced at his friend for help. Kunsel noticed the gesture and smirked a little before turning to Genesis and giving a report.

"The cadet's clothes were drenched in Mako. To wash it would have been futile, for Mako does not wash away, similar to oil. We were responsible for dealing with the garments, so the last option was to burn it as the Mako could do serious damage if it were not disposed of properly," he reported. Genesis frowned at the SOLDIER Second—Kunsel it was, if his memory did not fail him. Drenched in Mako? That wasn't right. He nodded, accepting the explanation, but opened his mouth to voice the one question floating around in his mind. Curiosity coloured his former accusing tone.

"Why would a cadet's clothes be covered in Mako?" There was something unsettling about the image Genesis was picturing, of Hojo cackling over the limp body of one of the cadets, drenched in Mako…he shook the darkening thought from his head and focused his attention on the two boys in front of him (but little did he know how true it really was).

Kunsel frowned under his helmet, a small frown just barely tugging down the edges of his mouth. "Didn't you hear about the Mideel ordeal?" Genesis shook his head and, now curious,, gestured for him to continue. Kunsel opened his mouth to answer but Zack beat him to it.

"We went because some stuff happened and then some more stuff happened and they got separated because stuff happened and then hefellintotheMakoandit'sallmyfaultand—"

"What he _means _to say," Kunsel cut him off quickly, knowing this was going nowhere, "is that he and a group of cadets went to Mideel to find a Mako spring that was reported. Zack split his group into three others and about halfway through the day, one group got ambushed but a bunch of Head Hunters and broke up. One of those cadets stumbled across the Mako spring and fell into it."

What was this?

"His name?"

"Cadet Cloud Strife, sir."

Genesis made a note to look into it. A palpable silence ensued before he broke the silence again.

"What on the Planet are you doing on the SOLDIER executives' floor?"

The raven-haired Second looked around the hallway in wonder as if he'd never been there before. "We're on the SOLDIER execs' floor!?"

Kunsel slapped a hand to his helmet. Genesis felt like doing the same. "Yes, Zack. We came to see Angeal, remember?"

Realization dawned on the Second's face before morphing into a sheepish grin. "Right. Well…I guess we'll see you around then?"

"Hopefully not," Genesis shot, "because the next time I see you, you will probably be in trouble. Now go."

The two boys didn't hesitate before running off in the wrong direction of where Angeal's office was supposed to be. Genesis could hear Zack's comment to Kunsel once he thought he was out of hearing range.

"I could have sworn he was going to throw a Firaga at us."

Genesis scowled humourlessly. Ha ha. He stepped forward menacingly, his right hand lifted slightly towards their retreating figures.

"I heard that!"

The SOLDIER Seconds jumped and, without looking back, broke into a run. Genesis continued to stare until the boys turned around the corner and disappeared. He then shook his head, his auburn locks dancing around his handsome features. Genesis made toward his office door slowly, face scrunched in contemplation. They could mock him all they wanted, but little did they know that the actual cause of the red-head's temper lied in the pain from the degradation that he didn't know he had…

He disappeared inside his office, and the door shut.

* * *

**Remember, if you have anything you want to see, PM or review and I might put it in :)**

**On a side note, Genesis is kind of OOC. I need to rewatch Crisis Core for the events, too. Basically I'm going to do whatever the hell I want but I want to rewatch the events to make sure I'm not way off the timeline or event or something.**

**Yeah.**

**I hope you enjoyed that :) My next update might be a little late. Homework can be a drag, and some stuff** **is happening. So be patient! :)**


	6. Missions

**Back with another chapter! You know, these chapters are seriously writing themselves now. Things are just happening and falling into place whether I want them to or not.**

**To Nineveh03:**  
**I've been trying to give a more realistic version of the characters, hence the matureness. And yes, I'm confused myself too XD My story is writing itself, after all. I have no control except to type what it's telling me to. Things will get clearer as time goes on (I hope D:)**

**To roy23:**  
**Too bad :D Everyone l****_oves _to torture their bias, now don't they?**

**To City of Dis:**  
**I actually don't know what I'm going to do about their relationship. It will come to me when I write it, but if you (or anyone else reading this) wants to see anything, don't hesitate to ask! :)**

**And the rest of you, thanks**

**_so much _for the support. It makes me very, very happy. That's pretty much the only reason I'm updating more than once a month :3**

**And on with the story!**

* * *

"Hojo-!"

Said professor looked at Cloud, eyes narrowed. He studied the blonde for a while. Cloud froze under his scrutinizing gaze, unwilling to move for fear he would be tempted to wring his hands around the man's throat.

"That's Professor Hojo to you, moron," spat Hojo, his greasy hair falling into his face. Cloud trembled with rage and just barely contained himself...but here he was, alone with Hojo...he could kill him right now...

Think, Cloud. His anger would ruin everything. He would be forced to leave Shin-Ra, which he couldn't afford to do right now. But hell, was it tempting!

Hojo glared at Cloud again before slowly advancing towards him. Said blonde didn't dare move.

He expected Hojo to mock him, call him a failure, suggest him as an experiment, but the man did none of that. Instead, he jabbed a finger at Cloud who moved back, disgusted. Hojo simply sneered at him and gave him a once over.

"Insolent brats like you are not what Shin-Ra needs or wants," he said irritatingly calmly. "Genius' like me, however, are completely valued," he further boasted. The man always was one to take every opportunity to talk highly of himself. He looked at something behind Cloud and grew irritated. "You are standing in the way of genius. Get out of my way."

Instead of waiting for Cloud to register what he just said, the greasy professor reached over and pushed him aside. When his bony hand came into contact with the blonde's skin, Cloud could feel the faint buzz of JENOVA stir at the back of his head.

Hojo already injected himself with JENOVA's cells.

Cloud didn't have time to think about it as he was pushed out of the way. He focused on what Hojo was doing, just so he could get any clues about his experiments. Cloud frowned when the man pulled out a blood sample from the freezer behind him. Whose blood sample was it? He looked for the name, but was too obvious. Hojo turned on him, noticing his curiosity.

"These are only for ME to look at," he said, examining Cloud carefully. He clasped his hands behind his back and tilted his head slightly, his oily hair falling from the low ponytail hanging on his back. "Actually, you might make a good scientist."

Cloud scoffed inwardly, remembering Hojo spewing the same bullshit to him right before the man's death. Him, a scientist? You have got to be kidding me, he thought.

Noticing Cloud's scowl, Hojo cackled. "Hee hee hee! Why so upset, my boy!" Bile rose in Cloud's throat but he swallowed it down and frowned inwardly. "You look as if you desire to kill," the man further observed, straightening back up.

Oh, was he ever right.

Hojo frowned and looked at his watch before looking back up at Cloud. "I don't sign autographs," he said and, after grabbing a couple tools Cloud did not recognize, turned to leave. He managed to catch the name on the blood sample before Hojo's back turned.

Kolter?

Cloud frowned at the unfamiliar name. Wasn't that a SOLDIER? Or maybe it was a cadet. Whoever it was, they probably weren't that important. He shrugged it off and glared ice at Hojo's retreating form. He just wrote him off! Maybe Cloud was just too used to attention. He supposed it was better that Hojo didn't care about him. Yes, hopefully it stayed that way. Oh well, thought Cloud as he turned to leave before-Planet help him-someone like Sephiroth decided to start bursting into random rooms. Hojo would be dead soon.

He walked out of the room and straight into the hustle and bustle of the infirmary. Now, what did he need to do besides formulate a plan to kill Hojo? Cloud groaned inwardly. Detention. He needed to locate Sergeant Jackson. Upset about the task and cursing himself for getting into it, Cloud made to leave but was stopped by a familiar figure.

"Cloud."

Said blonde looked towards the voice and took in dark, curly hair and a muscular build.

"Oh...Sehk." Cloud nodded his head in greeting; he must have been released. Taking in the cast covered nose, the bandages around his ribs and the way he limped, he winced, suddenly feeling very guilty. This was entirely his fault. Sehk seemed to notice Cloud's discomfort and grunted softly.

"Don't worry about it. I was being a jackass."

Cloud did a double take. Was _he_ really apologizing?

"I should be the one—"

Sehk continued, cutting him off, "After what I saw in there, I'm not stupid enough to stay on your bad side. I deserved it for everything I've done to you, anyways. You should hate me."

Cloud frowned. He didn't like the idea of someone expecting him to hate them. It didn't sit well with him.  
A palpable silence ensued with neither of them willing to speak. Cloud stood stoic still and wondered what to say to Sehk's statement whereas the other boy shifted his weight from foot to foot.

A piercing ring broke the silence and Sehk reached for his PHS. The phone opened with a snap as he checked his messages. Sehk's face brightened as his eyes skimmed over the contents.

"We have a mission with the Commander!?" Sehk gasped, delight clear on his features. Cloud's lips flattened as he regarded the ecstatic cadet, then his eyes shifted back to the PHS. We?

"Your name is here, too."

Cloud leaned over to see for himself. Sure enough, there it was. Cloud Strife, listed under Sehk and over another cadet by the name of Kolter.

Wait. Kolter? Hojo had his blood sample…

Cloud grimaced. It couldn't mean anything, right? He'd have to keep an eye on him. On the other hand…

Where was the mission?

Another groan. The Gold Saucer.

If Cloud had to fight some stupid monsters—alongside the red-haired Commander, of all people—while listening to the annoying tune the Gold Saucer was known for, he was going to cry.

Cloud bit his lip when a thought occurred to him. Did he just deny this boy of his opportunity to fight alongside Genesis because of some petty fight? His eyes flooded with apology as their eyes met. Sehk, realizing what Cloud was thinking, frowned. The boy then shut the PHS slowly and tucked it away, suddenly devastated but trying not to show it. Cloud knew what the action meant.

"Are they not going to heal you? They've got to have a restore materia or something, right?"

Sehk frowned even deeper, if that was even possible. "No…the injuries are pretty bad. They need something like an Elixir to heal me, and those are pretty rare. I have to wait it out, but whatever. I guess I deserved it…"

Cloud frowned, shaking his head. No, he didn't. Cloud was the one who pounded the cadet into the ground in the first place and he wanted to make it up to him, whether the boy hated him or not. If he ever did anything to Cloud in the past, he didn't remember, and it sure as hell wasn't an excuse not to help the boy. The blonde hummed as he thought of a way that he could heal Sehk so he didn't have to wait until he remembered that he possessed a couple of Elixirs himself. Surely he could heal him with that? Cloud shot his head up and smiled slightly at the burly boy. A potion wouldn't attract too much attention, right?

Cloud gestured for Sehk to follow him and turned to walk out. He stopped when he noticed that the other boy wasn't following. The blonde turned slightly, studying him.

"I know I did some serious shit to you, but isn't this enough punishment? What do you want to do with me now?" Sehk said this with such a broken voice that Cloud bit the inside of his lip hard until the familiar taste of blood fell onto his tongue. He felt terrible. Cloud was here to change things and help, not cause more problems. This boy was a bully, not some next Sephiroth. He could change, too. Did Sehk not have a right to fix his own life? Cloud was going to show the boy kindness. With this thought in mind, he offered a smile.

"Come."

Something in his voice must have convinced Sehk, because he complied and followed him. The boys silently padded out of the infirmary and down the hallway to the cadet barracks.

The walk was mainly silent, neither cadet willing to speak. Cloud kept glancing guiltily at the other boy's wounds and Sehk kept shaking his head and offering him a nervous yet slightly reassuring smile. The dark-haired boy looked wary of Cloud, but the blonde couldn't really blame him after his stunt in the barracks. Cloud frowned at himself. He felt like such a child.

Soon the familiar door loomed into view and the boys stood in front of it, the number 36 written in simple black font. Cloud stepped back and allowed Sehk to slip his ID into the door to open it; the blonde didn't know where his past self had put his own. The door opened with a slight bang as it hit the wall and the room flooded with the cool air from the hallway. The boys stepped in and Cloud immediately went to his bed until he realized something.

Could he really trust Sehk in finding out about his secret compartment?

No, Cloud concluded. It was secret for a reason. He needed to send Sehk off somewhere so he wouldn't see.

"Hey," Cloud directed at the burly boy, turning slightly to peek at him through his blonde locks. Sehk was studying Cloud closely with narrowed eyes, as if he didn't trust what he was doing but was willing to give it a shot. His eyes ran over Cloud's form warily but he waited for him to finish.

"Go get your cast and bandages off. It will make it easier to heal." As if to make his point clearer, Cloud pointed out what he was pretty sure was the bathroom. Sehk's eyes widened with disbelief.

"Are…are you serious?"

Cloud pointed again. Sehk eyes followed the gesture and he nodded meekly before silently padding off to said room. Cloud waited until he was sure Sehk wouldn't come out, then quick as a wink he lifted his makeshift lid off the floor under his bed and grabbed an Elixir. It was one of his good ones, but he had a decent amount of gil and a favour to owe so the blonde didn't mind. He waited patiently until Sehk exited the bathroom, his wounds prominent on his face and chest. Cloud winced at the angry red marking the boy's skin and squeezed the potion as if to reassure himself that it would be gone soon.

Sehk looked curiously at the strange brown bag in Cloud's hands and the blonde didn't make to show it to him. Instead he gestured the burly boy forward, who stayed where he was, looking unsure.

"You're not going to poison me or anything, right, man? I know I did a lot of stuff to you, but—"

Cloud shook his head slowly, causing Sehk to stop mid sentence.

"Are you serious? After everything I've done to you?"

A nod. The dark-haired boy just stared at Cloud, baffled.

"You're serious."

Cloud offered a sheepish smile, awkwardly holding the bag out in front of him. The blonde waited patiently for the other cadet to take it. Said cadet remained standing, gaping a little. Cloud's smile faltered. Why was it so surprising? He had pounded the kid into the ground and wanted to make it up to him. There was nothing else to it. Cloud hummed in understanding when a thought came to him. Did no one ever show this boy kindness?

Cloud's vision unfocused as time passed, but refocused with movement from the burly boy. Sehk was shifting his weight from foot to foot and taking an interest in the dirt particles that covered the ground.

"I don't understand. I mocked you, hurt you, threatened you, ignored you—"

"Stop."

Sehk looked up from his rant, a storm of emotions swirling in his dark brown eyes. Cloud's own ice blue eyes held so much authority that the other boy looked back down but didn't say anything. After a while, he started kicking the ground.

"I feel like a jerk," he mumbled, averting his eyes.

Cloud sighed loudly and without another word tossed the potion at the dark-haired boy. A high pitched twinkling accompanied the blue, green and purple sparkles that surrounded him, completely curing him of any and all wounds. Once it faded away, the angry red that once marked his skin was completely gone.

No words were exchanged as Sehk checked himself over, his expression oddly blank. Cloud turned to give the other boy some space and he needed to find Sergeant Jackson anyways. Seeing Director Lazard was also added to his to-do list to discuss the message. Could cadets opt out of missions? He was going to find out.

The blonde began making his way to the door, his attention focused on the task awaiting him. A hand landed lightly on his shoulder, halting his retreat. Cloud turned his head slightly in the other boy's direction in acknowledgement. He heard Sehk sigh in defeat.

"I…thanks, you know…it really means a lot."

Cloud smiled beneath his bangs and gently shook his shoulder, releasing it from Sehk's grasp. He then walked straight out the door, not noticing the other cadet walk over to Cloud's bed and start pulling out the needles he had placed to harm the blonde the morning before the fight.

* * *

Reno waltzed down the Turk hall like he owned the place, a sly grin planted loosely on his face. His right hand lingered lazily on the hilt of his trusty Electro Mag Rod, which hung from over his right shoulder. Spiffy Turk issued footwear clicked sharply on the clean tiled floors next to him. The red-head turned his face slightly to the left, studying the dark goggles of his serious partner.

"Aye Rude, where are we going anyways?" Reno's naturally mocking tone drifted slowly across the distance between them. Rude chuckled slightly at the question.

"You'll like it. I know."

Reno clucked his tongue in frustration. "That's not an answer. 'Least give me a hint?"

Rude remained silent and instead chose to focus all his attention on the path in front of them. Reno sighed loudly in defeat and turned to do the same.

"All here to screw with me, I swear," the red-head grumbled under his breath, but still loud enough for the bald Turk to hear. Rude simply smirked slightly, still staring straight ahead.

Thankfully for Rude, Reno's patience didn't run out in the four minutes it took to get there, wherever 'there' was. The pair stopped in front of a very secure looking door that had a similar style to the simulation rooms.

"Ooh, this looks interesting." Reno's smirk grew wider in anticipation as Rude stepped up to the door and proceeded to enter the code and his ID. The process went smoothly and soon the doors opened with a mechanical whoosh, allowing them into the mystery room.

A sturdy looking metal room awaited them, grey except for the reddish object placed in the centre. Reno walked up to it in curiosity, roughly prodding the object. Rude hurried over to stop the action, the metal door shutting with another slight whoosh behind him.

"What's this…thingamabob here?" Reno tilted his head this way and that to get a better view. In the meantime, a smile was threatening to break out on Rude's face. He flattened his lips to hide his mirth and gestured to the object that was now held in his hands.

"It's a bomb I've been working on," Rude confessed. Reno whistled at the statement and fully turned towards his bald counterpart, a sly smile creeping onto his face.

"Got any bite to it?"

"It might not work. We're here to test it out."

If the red-haired Turk's excitement wasn't high before, it was skyrocketing now. His face broke into a huge grin, the red tattoos marking his face rising slightly.

"Test it, eh? Sweet! Let's blow this baby up!"

Rude gave in to his mirth and smirked as well. Reno's excitement could be contagious. He gently picked up the bomb, careful not to set it off. Reno was practically emitting energy by now as Rude placed the bomb in an indestructible room not too far from where they stood. It was specifically meant for testing weapons, mainly bombs, by Rude's request. He didn't have a timer on it in fear that it might go off the moment he touched it, so he installed a remote to set it off for them. Rude left the room and shut the door electronically, double-checking everything to make sure it was secure. He walked back over to where Reno stood and gave him a thumbs up. They went to stand behind the shield that Rude requested be put up.

"Shall you?" Rude offered the remote control to his partner, who pushed it back.

"Naw, it's all yours."

Rude crouched down behind the shield with Reno, remote in hand, but before his finger pressed down onto the button, both Turk's PHS's beeped. Rude's was out in an instant whereas Reno took to groaning loudly before unhurriedly taking out his own.

"Tseng," Rude clarified. Reno mumbled something about bosses having no life under his breath as he read the same message on his own.

"An order? At a time like this? We're on break, for Planet's sake!" Reno exclaimed, slamming his hands on the ground.

"Duty calls," Rude replied simply, although Reno could tell he was disappointed. The bald Turk got up from his position crouched on the floor and began to make his way to the exit, leaving the bomb secure where it was. A grumbling Reno followed him, pocketing his PHS.

Once the room was licked and secure, the pair began grudgingly making their way to Tseng's office, which wasn't too far from where they were.

"Wonder what the boss needs…" Reno thought aloud. Rude remained ever impassive behind his sunglasses. The rest of the short walk went that way, with the red-haired Turk grumbling incoherent strings and Rude remaining silent.

In due time the Turk's had arrived at Tseng's office. Reno pushed through the door impatiently, not bothering to knock. He immediately regretted that action as his eyes caught a flicker of light dancing off of silver hair. He backed up with an "oops," straight into Rude who was entering the room behind him. Rude stumbled slightly under the force of the red-head's weight, but otherwise stood straight, trapping Reno in the doorframe.

Tseng struggled to hide his smile as he watched the red-haired Turk fidget awkwardly. "You can come in," he called, amusement clear in his tone. Reno hesitated for only a moment before gathering up his act and smoothly walking in and taking a seat beside Tseng. Rude did the same, close on his heels.

Sephiroth watched the ordeal with a frown, clearly upset about something. He looked at the pair disinterestedly for a moment before he let his eyes wander.

Tseng cleared his throat. "I apologize for calling you here on such short notice. We," he gestured to the General as he said this, "have become aware of something and decided to involve the two of you."

Reno and Rude turned to look at each other momentarily before focusing their attention back onto their boss.

"We have caught wind of a cadet involved in the use of enhancement drugs. He goes by the name Kolter Tredeau. I want you two to investigate the situation further."

Reno blinked, then blinked again. That's it? Then why was Sephiroth here?

"Director Lazard had issued Kolter on a mission to the Gold Saucer with the Commander and two other cadets. You two are to go to the Gold Saucer ahead of them and spy on him," Tseng continued.

Reno frowned, slightly annoyed. "Why not just get the commander to do it?" He didn't see why Genesis couldn't babysit the kid for them. The man was in charge if the runts for the mission anyways, and he was still ticked about abandoning the bomb.

It was Sephiroth who replied on behalf of his friend, the General's voice carefully neutral. "If we were to involve Genesis, he would not be discreet about it. Genesis would prefer to confront the cadet directly, and we cannot afford such rash decisions." And with that, his eyes become disinterested once again, opting out of the conversation and effectively halting any oncoming questions. Tseng nodded his head once and focused his attention back onto the other two occupants of the room.

"And there you have it. They were supposed to leave in two days, but we require for this to be done as soon as possible. They will leave tomorrow morning; you two will leave this evening. You head off in about…" He lifted his hand slightly, glancing at his watch, "three hours. I trust one of you knows how to fly a helicopter?"

It took the two a moment to gather their bearings. This evening? Just what they needed. Rude nodded in response to Tseng's question and signalled for permission for them to leave. Tseng's lips tugged town slightly at the gesture.

"Dismissed."

Reno got up, now in a slightly worse mood than he had been entering the room, and made his way to the door.

"…Wait."

Rude turned around dutifully whereas Reno stuck his hands into his pockets and merely turned his head.

"Yeah, boss?"

Tseng seemed to hesitate and looked at Sephiroth before continuing. "There's been…rumours…of a possible war between Shin-Ra and Wutai. If you hear anything about it, I want the two of you to report to either Sephiroth or myself immediately."

So that's what's got the two of them so worked up, thought Reno, suddenly understanding. If rumours of a war got out to the populace, it might not look good for Shin-Ra and it would be harder to cover up if there really was a war.

"Will do, sir!" Reno said with forced enthusiasm. He then followed Rude out the door when Tseng waved them away, signalling that there was nothing else to discuss. The door closed behind them softly.

Rude turned to Reno. "We had better go pack."

The red-haired Turk scoffed, but brightened when something came to him. "I'm treating this like a vacation! Jus' think about all the things we could do. We got no work 'till the runt arrives, right?"

Rude seemed to consider this, but just shrugged. "We have a job to get done." With that he promptly turned and began making his way to their shared apartment.

Reno chased after him. "Aw, don't be like that Rude!"

The Turk said nothing as Reno caught up to him. They made their way to their apartment, the upcoming trek to the Gold Saucer the only thing on their minds.

* * *

**Liked it? Tell me what you think! I don't know when the next update will come, but it'll come in a week's time or so...maybe :')**

**I hope you enjoyed! And again, if there's anything you want to see, it will help by filling the dreaded writer's block.**

**'Till next time~**


	7. Let's Go!

**Surprise, Surprise! This update was pretty fast, even for me. It's also 2,000 more words than I normally write because I wanted to end it at a certain moment. Oh, and get ready guys. The next part is going to be CRAZY.**

**Also, the real plot will get started in maybe about...3-5 chapters? And another thing, I might not keep up the 6,000 words a chapter. I just had too much to write and was WAAAY to excited about the next chapter that I wanted to get this one over with. For all you Genesis lovers, here! Have him! This is your reward for all the support. Enjoy!**

**To noodlepower:**

**THANK YOU for the questions. I actually needed a base of questions to organize my thoughts and was going to sit down and write them but bam! You come along. Hopefully this chapter will be a little satisfying for you because I answer some things and don't worry, I will answer more when the time comes. I'm also hinting at something but I won't say what. You guys will have to find out ;)**

**To the story!**

* * *

The clock ticked loudly on the far wall of the small room, disrupting the silence that encased the room and its two occupants. The two men sat quietly at the grey table that rested in the center, lost in their many thoughts.

Soon the leader of the Turks got up, his chair screeching loudly on the tile floors, drowning out the ticking of the clock. He made his way to the door and rested his hand on the silver knob.

"To Lazard?" asked the silver-haired General, looking up from his position at the table. The other man remained silent, for they both knew the answer.

"Lazard does not know anymore than you do. Why, then, do you plan on going?" he continued. Tseng frowned, still facing the door.

"Whether he knows anything or not, we must inform him of our decision to send Reno and Rude. You know that."

Sephiroth frowned as well and crossed his arms, leaning back further into his seat. "Very well then, but you are wasting your time. Lazard known nothing, nor does he care whether you send those Turks of your or not. They will come back empty handed."

At this Tseng turned around, abandoning his position from the door. His face was oddly blank and his voice professional. "I'm curious to know as to why you, of all people, insist on defending him. And I'm not referring to Lazard."

Sephiroth's lips flattened. "I am not 'defending him.' As much as I hate the man, he has no part in this ordeal. That is a fact."

Tseng shook his head in disapproval. "There are no guarantees in Shin-Ra, Sephiroth. You should know that better than anyone else. This is a case that cannot be left alone," Tseng countered, his face betraying nothing.

Sephiroth frowned again, slightly irritated. He was in no mood to argue. "Go."

Tseng just looked at Sephiroth. "Are you coming?"

The General shook his head slightly. "I have more important things to do than hunt down information that is not there." He turned his head away from the Turk, unconsciously saving Cloud—who was heading to the Director's office as they spoke—from running into him.

Tseng sighed ever so slightly. "Fine. I am off." And with that he turned around sharply and left, the door closing softly behind him.

* * *

Blonde locks bounced as Cloud walked down the corridor, heading in the direction of the one known as Director Lazard. He had failed to locate Sergeant Jackson and opted to look for the Director instead. Cloud had stopped at reception to inquire about the man because even though he practically knew the layout inside out, he had felt no need to locate a man who was no longer in charge at the time.

Personally, the blonde was glad for the distractions. Suddenly being thrown into your past was never an easy thing on the mind, and he needed time to get used to everything and find things out before he really thought about it. Illusion or reality, he would see how things played out before making a move.

You know what they say: know your enemy.

It was after this thought that Cloud found himself approaching his destination. He hesitated at the door, afraid to run into anyone of power; mainly Sephiroth and Tseng, the leaders of SOLDIER and the Turks. Cloud had no intention to make himself known to either right now. It was always better to work underground. That way you could grow unnoticed, then break out and catch your enemy by surprise. If either of them caught even the slightest whiff of his soon-to-be-formulated plan, they would not stop digging until they pieced everything together. They were like cats.

Curiosity kills the cat. In Sephitoh's case, it would be literally. However, there wasn't a huge danger of that right now because he didn't really have a plan. Not yet, that is.

Squashing his nerves down with a vengeance, Cloud knocked once on the door softly. After waiting with no response, he tried again, louder this time.

No response.

Cloud tried one last time and began to get frustrated with the lack of response. He was on the verge of giving up when a soft voice called to him from behind the door.

"You may come in."

Not recognizing the voice, Cloud assumed it was the Director. He slowly reached for the knob, steeling himself for a run in with anyone of power.

His suspicions were right.

Tseng sat next to a man with coiffed blonde hair dimmer than Cloud's own and his face was framed with thin blue glasses. He looked eerily like Rufus and Cloud immediately didn't trust him. The other problem was Tseng. If the blonde remembered correctly, Lazard was one of the heads of SOLDIER. SOLDIER's and Turks did not mix, and if they did it was always important. Judging by the expressions on the two men's faces, something big was going on.

Cloud did not like this situation. Not at all.

Overall, Tseng looked just as Cloud remembered him. It was as if he was unable to age (with Shin-Ra, who knew?). He looked as sleek and professional as he always had. No shock there. One thing the blonde noticed was that this Tseng looked a little lighter, as if he hadn't seen as much dark to weigh him down yet; however, he also looked a tad less intelligent than he had before, possibly because what really changed him didn't happen yet. He would be easier to fool, if only slightly.

"State your business," Tseng spoke, his face betraying slight impatience. Cloud had interrupted something, that he could tell. The blonde frowned, feeling a little stupid. He was interrupting something for a mere request he knew would be turned down.

"Cadet Cloud Strife speaking, sir." Boy, did it feel odd to refer to himself as cadet and address someone else as sir. "I received word from another cadet that I was issued to go on a mission, but was not quite sure…"

Tseng's face remained irritated, but Lazard's lit with recognition. "Ah, yes. I'm the one who sent you. You're going to the Gold Saucer with the Commander and two cadets. I do imagine it would be hard to believe. The Commander doesn't do this quite often. You must be excited."

Cloud frowned at the assumption. It was the opposite, in fact. "Actually, am I able to…er…opt out?"

His request was met with blank stares and Cloud suddenly regretted asking.

"Why would you want to opt out?" Lazard asked, slightly taken aback. Thankfully, Cloud was prepared for this question.

"Well, sir, you must remember I just got out of the infirmary today. I don't think I'm quite ready for another mission after what happened." Cloud didn't have to feign his tiredness because he was already exhausted. Tseng didn't even look like he was listening anymore. The man never did care for anything other than his immediate job. Lazard, however, looked a little unsure. He studied Cloud thoroughly, probably wondering whether to accept his request or not. Cloud remained impassive, his posture straight and still. His eyes met evenly with Lazard's own, the man's blue ones filled with curiosity. Soon, he seemed to come to a conclusion and cleared his throat.

"Sorry, but we have a lack of SOLDIER's and suitable cadets as it is. Regardless, you having just gotten out of the infirmary makes you all the more suitable. The Commander is required to judge your abilities to see if the enhancements did anything."

Cloud flattened his lips. Judge? He would have to be extra careful around Genesis to make sure the man didn't take a special interest in him. But Cloud himself needed to judge his own abilities…

Augh. Fate was definitely not on his side this time around, or any time around for that matter.

"You are leaving tomorrow morning. Meet Genesis in his office with the other two cadets at o' five hundred sharp. He will brief you then. Be prepared, and I wish you good luck." Lazard effectively cut off any oncoming questions, turning to Tseng to signal that their time together was done. Cloud sighed softly, casting his ice blue eyes around the man's office. After seeing the Director, some of Zack's memories of him were coming back. Lazard was funding Hollander's project, that much he knew…

Tucking the information away for later, Cloud cast one last look at his old friend. Tseng might seem cold and professional, but he was a good ally and friend, and the blonde really did miss him. They both had been through a lot, or the old Tseng did. Biting the inside of his lip, Cloud turned on his heel and headed for the door without another word. He needed to prepare for another long day.

* * *

Morning came quickly for Cloud. Too quickly. He woke up around three in the morning—if you could call that morning—a full two hours before they were due to meet Genesis. Stifling a yawn, the blonde pushed himself out of his bed, slightly hoping he would be in his own bed and that he would be greeted by Tifa and the kids. No such luck there.

Cloud stopped at the foot of his bed to retrieve his cadet uniform. He opened the bottom drawer of the metallic green box, grabbing the uniform from the top. The blonde was reluctant to put it on but it wasn't as if he could resort back to his old clothing. Too suspicious. What else was suspicious was there were a bunch of holes in his bed as if someone had stabbed it with a needle countless times, but he shrugged it off as Shin-Ra budget cuts and headed for one of the two bathrooms that the six in his barrack shared.

The four cadets he fought—Matthew, Giriko, Justin and, of course, Sehk—were part of his bunk, along with one other which happened to be Kolter. Kolter, Sehk and he were going on the mission; the others were to serve detention. Cloud had run into Sergeant Jackson on his way to his barrack last night. The man had informed him that because of the delay, he might as well serve two detentions when he got back. It seemed like everyone was out to get Cloud.

Said blonde sighed and pushed open the bathroom door. He stopped in front of the sink, preparing to wash his face. The light from the bathroom glinted off mirror that hung above the sink and Cloud lifted his head to glance at his reflection.

What he saw caused him to pause.

Cloud was taken aback by his appearance. He was considerably older than he was yesterday and his muscles had built up, too. The blonde still had a while to go before he was back to the prime age of 25, but he looked around 19 now. He stared at his image, his brain whirring to figure out just why it had happened. What had Cloud done that could have caused this?

Suddenly he remembered something. When Cloud had fallen into the Lifestream, his body felt weird. After randomly popping into his past, his body was younger but not as young as it had been.

Of course. It was a side effect from the Lifestream. His body was resorting back to its original build fro, before he had entered the Planet's blood.

Cloud bit his lip as he gazed at his reflection. That meant that he couldn't stay in Shin-Ra for very long. _Well, good riddance!_ For now, though, he would have to be very, very careful, more so than before. Thank the Planet he could use the little Mako incident to blame for everything that was happening to him: his memory loss, his enhancements, his personality, his age…

Cloud frowned at his image and leaned over to wash his face. The cold water snapped him awake as it dripped down his chin. He lifted his head to look at himself again and forced himself to think in a better light (after all, he promised everyone he would). On the plus side, his body would soon be back to its prime build so there was no need to train as profusely as he thought he needed. Cloud smiled inwardly. This time around, fate would not be in charge. Cloud was here to mess with fate, not the other way around.

A thought floated around the back of his mind as he prepared to take a shower. Where was AVALANCHE? Planet, when did he even join? It was a new group at the time, which meant that now, it didn't exist yet. The blonde's eyes widened slightly as he remembered something—he was doing that a lot lately—and then he smiled softly. Barret would be in Corel right about now. They had a chance of meeting again when Cloud went to the ropeway to get to Gold Saucer.

After his shower, Cloud was in a pretty good mood. He dried himself off, flexing his muscles as he did so. Yep, they were definitely coming back in good shape. He smirked as he pulled on his cadet uniform, then frowned a little when he realized that it was way too small.

That was just fantastic. How was he supposed to explain this to the red-haired Commander?

_Hey, I'm ready to go on the mission! Oh this? Yeah, I outgrew my clothes in a day. No worries, right? I'll just wear yours!_

He winced when he realized that was probably exactly what he was going to sound like. Cloud tried to force his clothes on, but it was no use. They were tailored for his small, thirteen year old self. He had barely fit into them before but now it was hopeless. Cloud heaved a sigh before pulling his white tank and baggy green sweats back on. That would have to do, he supposed. On the bright side, it was comfier than his cadet uniform.

He exited the bathroom and checked the clock. 4:00 am. He might as well wake up the others, starting with Sehk. The blonde warrior walked over to Sehk's bunk, which was the top one across from his own. He climbed the side of the bunk bed halfway and leaned over him, gently shaking the burly boy awake.

"Sehk? Get up." Cloud increased the pressure of his shaking, which soon grew to violently pushing the boy when he refused to wake up.

"Five more minutes, Ma…"

Cloud smirked. For all he was tough, Cid used to do the same thing. It was always the tough ones, the blonde mused. He would hold this over Sehk's head forever.

"I'm not quite your mom, Sehk, but you still have to wake up or…or the Commander will fry you to death." Cloud's smirk wavered when he remembered calling Aerith 'mom,' but shook his head to stop his thoughts from a downward spiral. He was done being haunted by memories.

The blonde look down at movement from the other boy. His tousled dark hair hung in his face as he gazed up at Cloud with narrowed eyes before snapping awake.

"What!? Commander? Where!? I'm awake!" He shot the smirking Cloud a glare when he realized what happened. Sehk pushed himself up and gripped his head, letting out a heavy sigh.

"You're a jerk, you know that?" Sehk grumbled as he hopped out of bed and headed for the bathroom. Cloud hopped down after him from his position on the side of the bed and stood with a hand placed firmly on his hip.

"Ok…son."

Sehk froze in his tracks and turned his head around towards Cloud, who shot the other boy a mocking smirk through his tousled blonde bangs. The dark-haired cadet flushed slightly and glared at him before whipping around and disappearing into the bathroom. Cloud gave a soft, low chuckle before turning his attention to the bottom bunk where Kolter slept. His bunk was the third one that rested in the room. Cloud made his way over to the bed and leaned over the sleeping figure, studying the boy through narrowed eyes. Kolter laid, his light-brown fohawk slightly out of place and drool across his mouth. Cloud was still suspicious of him and his relation with Hojo. He would keep an eye out for anything that seemed suspicious, although he was curious to know as to what happened to him in Cloud's past. Nevertheless, he would get to the bottom of it.

The blonde poked the boy's face a few times before resorting to shaking. Kolter snapped awake without so much as a sound before shoving Cloud off and shooting awake, all six feet of him towering over the blonde. He ignored Cloud completely and began to get dressed. Cloud watched him with narrowed eyes before sighing and trying to make his hair look acceptable.

Soon, 4:50 am rolled around and the three cadets tiptoed out of the room. Kolter and Sehk shot Cloud weird looks the whole time but didn't question his lack of uniform or the fact that he looked considerably older. As it was, they were depending on Genesis to do it for them. All three boys didn't have a weapon with them because they were told the Commander would have swords waiting for them. The mission was as much of a test as it was a job.

After some searching, the three boys finally found themselves at Genesis's office. Kolter knocked on the door without hesitation whereas Sehk swallowed his nervousness down and Cloud remained indifferent at the back of the lot. The door opened with a bang and the cadets found themselves staring into the face of the legendary Commander.

His greeting? "It's 5:02 am! You are two minutes late! This is unacceptable. Do you want to be in SOLDIER?" he practically screamed at them. Two heads nodded meekly but Cloud remained still at the back. Genesis did not notice. "Well then, you must learn punctuality first. Now get in." The red-haired Commander clearly woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Cloud stared at the ordeal, appalled. _This _was what he had to deal with all day?

Genesis quickly ushered them inside and the three of them straightened out into a single file line. The Commander studied each with narrowed eyes until his scrutinizing gaze fell onto Cloud. He looked him up and down, taking in the sleep-worn clothing.

"_You. _What are you doing out of your uniform?" Genesis glared fire at him and was met with ice.

"If you hadn't noticed, _sir,_" Cloud shot back, growing more and more irritated with the man's short temper, "I'm a lot bigger than I was two days ago. My uniform doesn't fit me anymore." Sehk and Kolter looked on with eager eyes, entertained with the ordeal. Genesis, however, was anything but happy.

"Doesn't fit? Are you trying to te—"

"Look at me. I look nineteen. My uniform was meant for a thirteen year old. You think I'm gonna fit into that?" Cloud was seething now. He was not used to being yelled at or ordered around. For Planet's sake, Cloud was a leader!

Genesis turned his blazing eyes onto the other two cadets who cowered under his gaze. "You two. Do you have any spares for this…this…" he looked at Cloud, "…baby chocobo?" Cloud was about to tell the Commander just what hethought about _him,_ but decided against it when he realized that it wouldn't help anything. Instead, he glared for all he was worth.

The two boys whom Genesis was glaring at shook their heads meekly, signalling that they did not have a spare. The red-haired Commander heaved a sigh and lifted a hand to his head, willing himself to calm down.

"_My friend, the fates are cruel…" _he mumbled, then whipped out his PHS and quickly dialled a number. He turned his back to the three and waited for someone to pick up.

"Genesis? At this time?" Cloud's enhanced hearing heard a tired, deep voice mumble. The other two cadets couldn't hear anything and instead shared looks.

"Angeal, I have a problem," Genesis explained. "I am going on a mission and some irresponsible cadet," here Cloud's glare intensified, "has supposedly grown out of his uniform. The others have no spares. What do I do?" He tapped his foot impatiently as Angeal gathered his bearings.

"Grown out of their uniform? Who?" his tired voice drawled out. Genesis pulled the phone away from his ear and glared at the blonde.

"Name?"

"Cadet Cloud Strife, sir."

"It's Cloud Stri—" The Commander cut himself off, recognizing the familiar name. Angeal seemed to pause on the other line as well. Genesis turned on him.

"You're the disgrace who fell into the Mako?" Cloud simply frowned, earning a smug smirk from Genesis. "Second class SOLDIER Fair burned your clothes, you know." The blonde made a face at this and Genesis turned back to the phone.

"So?" he asked.

It took Angeal a moment to answer. "Well, he probably aged faster as a side effect, so we can do nothing about that. Lend him one of your First class uniforms."

It was Cloud's turn to be smug as a smirk danced across his lips. He watched Genesis's face fall, then twist.

"What? I can't—"

"Gen, it's the honourable thing to do," Angeal replied matter-of-factly, ending the conversation effectively. Genesis glared at the device and cut the line before fervently dialling another number. This one was picked up immediately.

"For the last time, G, I will not talk about LOVELESS."

Cloud froze at the baritone voice coming from the line and then twisted his lips into a scowl. Genesis didn't seem to notice.

"Sephiroth, old friend. Some cadet here has grown out of his uniform and neither he nor the others have any spares. We are about to depart on a mission."

Sephiroth paused. "Lend him yours."

Genesis's frowned deepened before he blurted "Not you too!" The silver-haired General cut the line without another word, leaving Genesis hanging and furious. The Commander shut the PHS and shoved it into his pocket before turning on the blonde once again. Through his anger he didn't notice the slight change in Cloud's eyes.

"I'll lend you mine, but if I see so much as a grain of dust after this mission, you are in for it." With that, he turned on his heel and smoothly left the office, throwing out a "You better not move an inch!" over his shoulder as he did so. Kolter and Sehk looked warily in the direction of the door before turning their eyes onto the blonde.

"Whoa man, you get to wear the Commander's clothes!" and "What the hell was that?" came from Sehk and Kolter simultaneously as they each in turn gaped at Cloud. Said cadet just looked at them, his expression blank, before blinking and realizing what just happened. He looked at the door sheepishly and averted his eyes to the ground.

Kolter looked almost mad, even offended. "What were you thinking?" he spat. Cloud's head shot up to look the offending cadet in the eye. Kolter did not back down from the ice now being shot at him. Cloud really wasn't in the mood for this.

"What was I thinking? I wasn't about to get yelled at for something I couldn't help," the blonde replied, keeping his voice calm. He was thinking about how nice it would be to strangle him, but mentally shook his head.

Remember, they're just boys.

Kolter scoffed and was about to retort but Sehk cut him off. "Hey man, calm down. Blondie here couldn't help it. Just give the guy a break." Even as he said this, Sehk shot Cloud odd looks as if not believing the shy, quiet, weak little boy he once knew could turn into this. Cloud ignored the looks and waited patiently for the Commander to return. It wasn't long before the door burst open again.

A First class uniform was shoved into Cloud's arms and he was pushed aside to change.

"You better be quick," Genesis warned. Cooperating for now, Cloud quickly slipped on the uniform, glad to be back into comfier clothing. It had the protection of the cadet uniforms and the comfort of his old black clothes; however, it was still a tad bit too big. Shrugging it off, Cloud fastened the belts with a speed only achieved through practice and hopped back in front of the Commander, leaving his clothes where they were. Genesis looked at the clothes with something similar to disgust.

"Go put those back, grunt. And hurry."

Cloud didn't say a word as he scooped up his PJ's and hurried back to his barrack. He zoomed through the halls, mentally preparing himself for the tough day ahead. His company was already ticking him off and thinking about the chaos at Gold Saucer was putting him in a worse mood by the minute. He quickly arrived in front of the room and kicked open the door. It was open, of course. He walked in, uncaring of the others sleeping in the room and dumped his clothes onto the bed. A thought occurred to him and he glanced around the room. Once he was certain no one was looking, Cloud bent down and reached under his bed, lifting the cover. He fumbled around until his hands felt the object he was looking for.

Did Aerith's water cure degradation? He was going to find out.

Pocketing the sturdy container, Cloud hurried back to Genesis's office. He arrived to find the Commander discussing battle strategies and the others eating it up. Poor fools. Genesis's eyes followed Cloud inside, but he continued with the lecture. Cloud listened with half an ear until he finished, already skilled in this area, more so than Genesis was. Once the man was finished, he handed each their sword. It was small and lightweight, not at all what Cloud was used to, but it was a sword nonetheless. Each of them slipped it easily into the harness already on their backs. Genesis then started the briefing.

"As you probably already know, we will be heading to the Gold Saucer on a report to deal with an onslaught of monsters that have escaped from one of the attractions." Cloud frowned at the description. From one of the attractions? All that came to mind was the haunted hotel and the battle arena, and you couldn't cut ghosts with a sword. They would have sent someone else. Summing it up as the battle arena, Cloud remained silent.

Once they were all packed and set to go, Genesis led the way out of his office and to the landing pad where Tseng was waiting for them. He was ready to fly the helicopter they were going to use to get to the Gold Saucer. Cloud winced at a vague memory of Tseng crashing the helicopter on the way to Modeoheim, where he met Zack. He was already half expecting the plane to crash before they reached Corel.

Tseng shot Cloud odd looks, probably wondering why a grunt was wearing a First class uniform. Cloud ignored him and stepped into the vehicle with the others. He settled into a nice little corner away from the other three and to avoid any chance of throwing up on anyone. The red-haired Commander was much calmer than he was before, opting to sit in the middle of them, Kolter on his left and Sehk on his right. Sehk also sat next to Cloud. He had a certain respect for the blonde after his show of kindness. Cloud didn't mind it; any ally on his side was good in the world on Shin-Ra.

The helicopter took off with a mechanical whir, jostling the passengers in the vehicle. Cloud hung onto his corner for dear life. He did _not _trust Tseng's piloting skills. Genesis remained indifferent, gazing out the window; however, Cloud noticed a pained expression worming its way onto his features. The blonde's eyes filled with concern as he studied the Commander's face and suddenly regretted yelling at him. His job was tough enough as it was without cadets yelling at him to top it all off.

Genesis noticed Cloud's staring and stared back. His face was quickly forming an expression of annoyance as time passed on.

"What?" he asked. Cloud did not move; instead, he gave Genesis a pointed look and spoke softly.

"I'm sorry. For yelling at you before." The blonde cast his eyes away and stared out the window. The Commander's face softened at the apology and he did the same. For a while they both simply stared out the window at theshimmering blue expanse of water that rested between Junon and Costa Del Sol. Cloud frowned inwardly and scolded himself for the countless time. He shouldn't be hurting a man who was so obviously in pain himself.

It was Genesis who broke the silence. "I shouldn't be expecting good behaviour from mere cadets. It is only natural, I suppose." The red-haired man glanced at Cloud with a look similar to boredom and the blonde felt like frowning but decided against it. Instead, he took a deep breath and attempted to make conversation, determined not to let it end there. After all, it wouldn't hurt to get to know him better.

"You know," Cloud tried, his voice soft and low, "you're not the only one allowed to be in a bad mood. The rest of us feel pain, too." He peeked out from beneath his spiky blonde bangs, gauging Genesis's reaction. The other man had a frown on his face and rested a hand on one knee, his head tilted slightly away from Cloud's direction. His expression did not change when he opened his mouth to answer.

"Is that so…"

His voice came out low and thoughtful and he resorted back to staring out the window. Cloud's lips tugged down a little at the lack of a good response. He had expected more and didn't want it to end there; however, Genesis turned his head back to Cloud and continued.

"What is your definition of 'pain,' Strife?" Genesis was now staring straight at Cloud, his own curiosity piped up. The blonde stared straight back and answered levelly.

"Your question is too vague, sir."

The red-haired Commander was slightly frustrated with the answer. He frowned and was about to question further when Kolter spoke up from beside him.

"Pain is a feeling of suffering and discomfort in both the physical and emotional aspects." Kolter shot a smug smirk in the direction of Cloud, thinking he had answered the Commander's question perfectly. His smirk wavered when Genesis turned his fiery eyes onto him, disappointment clear in his features.

"No, cadet. That is the dictionary definition. If you have not felt true pain you cannot answer. Where is your experience?" Genesis quickly grew almost mad, clearly displeased with the cadet. Cloud suspected it was because the Commander was in pain himself and did not tolerate those who thought they were. He knew how Genesis felt and did not question his actions. Said man turned back to Cloud, leaving Kolter sulking in his wake.

He cleared his throat. "Your definition of pain, Strife. Shall I be more specific than that?" Cloud shrugged, not having expected another question.

"It depends on which definition you are talking about. Kolter gave a dictionary definition. It's not wrong; it's just not the one you wanted to hear. You ask me to speak from my experience, from another's, or to say what you want to hear?"

Genesis simply stared at Cloud, his expression blank, before he chuckled. His sudden amusement rendered the three cadets slightly speechless. What were they supposed to make of this?

The red-haired Commander looked at Cloud with a slight smirk on his face. "You are something else, cadet." He did not question him further and instead ended the conversation, turning his head back towards the window before he called out to Tseng.

"Tseng. How long until we arrive?"

Said Turk called from the pilot's seat. "About two hours."

Genesis nodded and closed his eyes, the expression of pain worming its way onto his face again. Cloud sighed and ignored Sehk's stares, getting comfortable for the long ride.

The rest of the flight was silent, each individual thinking about Planet knows what. Two hours flew by and the crew soon found themselves arriving in Corel. The plane landed softly, much to Cloud's relief. He was itching to escape the cramped quarters the helicopter allowed.

The four of them hopped out the moment the plane touched down and Cloud stared at the town that was Corel before it was destroyed. It was a new sight to him. The blonde only remembered the run down town that he was used to. He turned his head this way and that as they made their way to the Gold Saucer, straining to get a glimpse of his old friend. There were crowds of people that were not there in his time and houses that hadn't seen the wrath of Shin-Ra yet. They would never experience it if Cloud had something to do with it.

The blonde saw a flash of silver amongst the crowds of kids, women and men swarming the area and he strained his head further to get a glimpse of what he thought was Barret's gun, but he shoved that thought away when he remembered that this Barret still had two hands. The thought caused a slight smile to spread across his face which grew in size when he remembered everything else the man had not lost yet.

Cloud's hope was quickly dwindling as time passed on. They were nearing the ropeway and he strained his head more than ever to desperately catch a glimpse of his dearly missed friend.

"Cloud! Hurry up!"

Said blonde turned his head and saw the others far ahead of him. Sehk was waving to him, signalling that Cloud to catch up. Cloud sighed and threw one final glance over the crowd.

At the last moment, his eyes fell onto a smiling, young Barret who was holding his wife's hand in his once-gun-arm.

The image was quickly swallowed up by the immense crowd and Cloud smiled a genuine, hopeful smile before running up to the others.

* * *

The four of them were crammed into a corner of the ropeway, trapped within the crowd of people heading to the Gold Saucer. It was rather crowded with a monster ambush happening, Cloud mused. With so many people, they were not noticed as much as they would have been without them. Some people tossed fear-filled glances towards the group but hurried along. Beside him, Kolter looked devastated and Genesis looked absolutely mortified, clearly not used to the environment. Sehk looked decidedly unhappy and Cloud wasn't sure how he felt. The song Gold Saucer was known for grew from a drawl to so loud it was blaring in their ears. The blonde looked out the window at the growing sight of the Gold Saucer and the gears in his head started to turn. He needed to do so much, he needed to plan, he needed to…

The doors opened and the crowd poured out. Genesis held them back until the crowd left before they got up and exited the moving cabin. They were the last ones out and the doors closed shut behind them. They walked to the entrance, stranded, as the ropeway left.

As Cloud looked up at the gigantic chocobo mascot, his thoughts slowed down. The music blazed in his ears, drowning out the last of his plans. A smile slowly spread across his face as he stood there, gazing at the laughing crowds, and absent thought flitted through his head.

Maybe it was time he had some fun.

* * *

**Enjoy, everyone? I hope you liked this! Prepare for the next chapter, because it will be absolutely...cracky. ****I'll appreciate some feedback and thank you for reading, guys!**


	8. Golden Amusement

**No, I did not abandon you, fellow fanfictioners. I've been working very hard on this chapter! Very, very hard. It didn't turn out as...cracky...as I wanted it to be. In fact, it turned out pretty serious and very important. Mind you, there are some ridiculous scenes in it, though :') It's the Gold Saucer, what do you expect? Also, there is lots of dry humor in this chapter. I had a lot of fun typing it and I hope you'll have fun reading it!**

**Oh, the plot pretty much starts now. I didn't write almost 9,000 words for nothing! Pay attention guys :D**

* * *

Cloud, Kolter, Sehk and Genesis pushed past the swarming crowds towards the chocobo-clad mascot that hopped around greeting passersby. In their excitement, many people did not notice the sword-wielding group that walked through—or at least, that was true in the cadets' case. The sight of an angry Genesis could scare anybody, and people hurriedly cleared a path for him once he made his existence known.

"Get out of my way!" he yelled, struggling to get to the chocobo mascot. He was the only worker they could find aside from the busy woman at the entrance to be able to guide them to the main office. All heads turned to stare at the enraged Commander and something finally clicked in their heads. More people moved out of the way, but there were fans in the area that noticed him and clung on. With a roar, Genesis shook the screaming fan girls off of him. He looked absolutely mortified, furious and annoyed all at once. In general, he was someone nobody wanted to mess with right now.

The chocobo-suited man hesitated at the sight before wading over to them. "Wark! Welcome to the Gold Saucer! How may I—"

"How may you help me!? How kind of you to ask!" Genesis growled, fed up with the crowds and the blaring music. The mascot jumped a bit before asking again.

"What d—"

"We were sent from Shin-Ra on a report to deal with stray monsters. Who sent the report? Everything looks fine to me." Under the fire of the Commander's eyes, the mascot whipped out a PHS from beneath the feathers of his costume.

"Let me get a hold of the owner for you." He quickly dialed a number, nervously peeking at Genesis every now and then. The three cadets tagging behind Genesis were silent, observing the ordeal with mixed emotions. Cloud, however, was slightly entertained with the whole thing. With all these chocobo images, he was itching to run over to the chocobo racing and he also wanted to check out the battle arena. How would he fare?

The blonde was brought back to attention when the mascot responded into the device. "Hello, Dio?" Cloud's ears perked at the familiar name and he listened more intently.

"_Donald? Hey! What is it? I'm a busy man, you know!"_

"Uh…some people from Shin-Ra are here to fight monsters or something. You know anything about this?"

"_Monsters? Oh right, them! Send them to the ghost area, I'll be waiting."_

With a click, Dio hung up and the mascot tucked his PHS away into the depths of his costume. He pointed a feathery finger towards the entry where the crowds of people were disappearing.

"Please make your way to the ghost area. The owner will be waiting for you there. Thank you for visiting the Gold Saucer and I hope you enjoy yourselves while you're here." And with that the mascot hurried off, unwilling to stay any longer in the company of the fiery Commander. Genesis heaved a sigh and turned onto the cadets who in turn blinked at him.

"Do any of you know where the ghost area is?" Kolter and Sehk blinked at him nervously but they nodded. Cloud stayed back and nodded as well but didn't say anything else. He was getting a slight tingling feeling at the back of his head, as if someone was watching them. The blonde looked around suspiciously, trying to catch the culprit, but came up short. All he saw was the quickly disappearing crowd.

Genesis smoothly gestured forward with one hand. "Lead the way." Kolter moved first, probably wanting to set a good example. Sehk followed close behind him and Genesis followed after the two of them. Cloud lagged behind, continuing to study the area. There had to be someone…

There! He squinted in the direction of the little pond, trying to confirm what he thought he saw, but it was in vain. The blonde shook his head slightly, causing his spiky blonde locks to sway back and forth, but he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching them. He could have sworn he saw a flash of red…

Shrugging it off for now, Cloud hurried after the other three. By now, the crowd was gone and another was preparing to come up through the ropeway. Sehk slowed his pace and stepped around the Commander, who looked at him suspiciously but continued to follow Kolter. The burly boy came into step beside Cloud.

"You ever been here, Cloud?" He looked expectantly at the blonde-haired boy who simply stared off into space as memories of the Gold Saucer threatened to consume him. The biggest memory that came to mind was being thrown into the Sandy Badlands…Stupid Dio.

"Yeah, just once." Horrible under exaggeration. The blonde had been to the Gold Saucer too many times with both good memories and bad memories. He wasn't about to pour his heart and soul into Sehk, though. "You?"

Sehk shrugged and looked around uninterestedly. "Been here a couple times myself. Pretty fun, if you can afford it." Cloud hummed in response and closed his eyes, trying to ward off the swarm of memories that threatened to engulf him. It wasn't working very well, though, so he opened his eyes and tried to distract himself by examining the surroundings again. Beside him, Sehk stared straight ahead and continued walking. Soon after the dark-haired boy picked up his pace and passed Genesis, moving to walk beside Kolter. Genesis glanced at them with a look that resembled slight irritation but said nothing.

It wasn't long before the group of fighters entered the Gold Saucer, the dirty blonde haired woman at the entrance eying them suspiciously and sneaking admiration-filled glances in Genesis's direction and curious glances towards Cloud. He supposed it was because he wore a First Class uniform. After all, everyone knew there were only three SOLDIERs in First Class: Angeal, the one who held onto his pride and honor yet would force his own student to kill him. Genesis, the one who had so much hope and love yet would be weak and give in to his own demons. And Sephiroth…

Cloud crushed that thought as soon as it surfaced and forced his attention back onto the others. The sights and sounds greeted him back with full force and he had to work to focus his eyes onto the figure that stood in front of one of the tunnels, but his eyes kept wandering around the brightly lit room. Kolter and Sehk were already gone, having disappeared down the tube that led to the Ghost Square. Genesis was preparing to hurl himself into the tube as well but he turned around before the darkness could engulf him and studied Cloud through narrowed eyes.

"Let's go, cadet." His voice came clipped and the blonde did not hesitate to follow. Genesis disappeared into the tunnel after the others and Cloud waited a moment or two before jumping feet first into the rainbow rimmed hole.

The short journey was a blur as he whirled towards the Ghost Square and before he knew it he hopped out of the confines of the tube. Genesis' and Kolter's impatient faces greeted him whereas Sehk had his back turned, choosing to gaze at the towering haunted hotel in front. Cloud offered them a sheepish smile that barely grazed his face but it was lost on them as they swiftly turned around. The red-haired Commander tilted his head up to study the haunted hotel and walked forward a few steps, dodging the many graves—tunnels, Cloud reminded himself—that surrounded the entrance.

Genesis cleared his throat and his studying gaze shifted into irritation once again. "This place is deserted. Where is the owner?" He narrowed his eyes at the single door in the center creaking on its hinges and briskly started forward without another word, the others silently following. Cloud idly noticed the way Kolter stuck to Genesis' side, seemingly trying to prove himself.

_Good luck with that._

The blonde then looked around with a frown as they made their way to the hotel. Genesis was right; the place _was _deserted. The last few times he had come here, there were faint traces of life—er, death?—lingering around the edges. The area was lined with ghosts of one kind or another, but now it was completely void of any presence. Needless to say, it was…odd.

A glint of light came from somewhere to his far left and Cloud snapped his head around but was greeted with the same scene that surrounded the haunted hotel, though he didn't take his calculating gaze off the area in which the movement came from. The blonde could have sworn he saw a bald head or something...

Warning bells were ringing in his head but as much as the warrior sifted through his brain for an answer, none were forthcoming. He observed Genesis' face, judging to see if the man had noticed it too, but the Commander remained indifferent, if not slightly aggravated. His gaze shifted to the other two cadets who tagged along; nothing there either.

Frown deepening, Cloud studied his surroundings again, straining to get a glimpse of what, he didn't know. With a minute of no progress the blonde shrugged it off but made a note to pay better attention next time.

In the meantime, Genesis had reached the door and pulled it open with a bang. The sound echoed through the silence, ricocheting off fake graves and artificial walls. The sound combined with the lack of life sent a shiver up the blonde's spine, but he steeled himself and followed the other three into the building.

Cloud was surprised when an empty foyer greeted them, void of the zombie who used to stand there. He looked around with suspicious eyes, taking in the empty building. To his right, the blonde noticed two ghosts playing chess—the only presence in sight.

_Some things never change._

He couldn't recall if the ghosts could talk, but went and tried anyways, just as they were disappearing. Unruffled, Cloud cleared his throat.

"Hey, do you know what happened to everyone?" the blonde asked with a slight frown. The question elicited strange glances in his direction. Cloud ignored them and waited, staring at the now-empty space expectantly.

"**Yes**."

To say the other three were surprised when the ghosts actually spoke was an understatement. Cloud tilted his head to the side slightly, wanted to get a glimpse of their slightly shocked faces. It was priceless, to say the least. He turned his head back to the ghosts just as Genesis smoothly stepped forward beside him, about to open his mouth. Before the Commander could say something demanding, Cloud spoke first, shooting the red-head a small look.

"Can you tell us, please?" Cloud asked softly, not wanting to get off on the wrong foot. For all he knew, the ghosts could be very uncooperative.

They reappeared with big grins adorning their white faces. It was a rather creepy sight, Cloud mused. He could feel Sehk's presence on his other side, staring at the ghosts with a little shock. The boy was gaping slightly but tried to cover it up, clearly wanting to prove something. Cloud focused his attention back onto the two ghosts who were examining him with the grins still on their faces.

"**Why do you want to know, goldilocks?"**

It was impossible to tell which one it was that spoke. Cloud narrowed his eyes at them, unappreciative of the nickname. He ignored it, however, and asked further.

"We were told some monsters have been roaming the Gold Saucer. Did they—"

"We don't have time for other questions. Where are they?" Genesis snapped, interrupting him. Cloud shot him a glare, which the man didn't notice. Commander or no Commander, he might have just ruined their opportunity.

The ghosts snickered. It was a strange sound, chilling them to the bone. "**We don't have time for answers."**

Genesis looked ready to strangle them—could you strange ghosts?—or worse, hurl a Firaga. Cloud's frown deepened and he stepped forward slightly in a silent gesture to stop the Commander from destroying them. He didn't see the man's reaction, but knew he was displeased.

"Sorry about that; he didn't mean it. We're just here to help, but we can't do that without knowing what we're doing." Cloud hoped he was getting somewhere. He'd dealt with difficult people before—certain people in his team were very difficult to convince—and hoped his tactics were working.

The ghosts disappeared again, but that didn't stop them from answering. "**What if we don't want your help, blondie?" **they snickered.

"Then all I ask is you tell me this: Where is everyone? After all, it is still a concern."

"**Hee…hee…fine, spiky head. They're in the Gold Saucer somewhere...hee…"**

The ghosts reappeared once again and resumed their game of chess, turning their heads back to the game. The pieces lifted as if by themselves, completing the strange sight they made. Cloud looked away, knowing he wasn't going to get any more than that and not wanting to put up with the ghosts and their nicknames. The blonde walked back towards the door, the leader in him not waiting to see what the Commander was going to do. He ignored the stares of the cadets but Genesis stepped in front of him, cutting off his escape.

"Good work, cadet." A glare from Kolter was thrown in his direction, but Cloud shrugged it off and turned away from Genesis. He made his way to the door, not quite knowing where he was going but knowing they were wasting time. Just as his hand touched the doorknob, if flew open, throwing him back in surprise.

"What—"

"Hey! Sorry I'm late; I'm a busy man, you know!"

_It's about time_.

Dio stood in the doorway with his hands on his hips, sticking up his head proudly. The man was wearing baggy orange pants and no shirt, showing off his exaggerated abs. Dio's gaze was focused solely on the Commander, ignoring the other three. That was well; Cloud really didn't want to deal with him. Genesis, seemingly losing his patience, briskly walked right up to him. Dio remained unaffected.

"Where are the residents of this hotel? Those ghosts over there," he pointed to what was now an empty space, "said they are in the Gold Saucer. Are those the ones we need to kill?"

Dio blinked. "Ghosts?" He looked over to where Genesis was pointing. Nothing. Idly scratching his head, the owner turned back to the Commander. "You're right about one thing. The people of this hotel have left and are bothering the people in the Gold Saucer. I need you guys to round them up!"

It was Genesis's turn to blink. "What!?"

Dio rose his chin up higher and laughed. "Yes, although I'm surprised they sent a First Class SOLDIER. Don't get me wrong, though, I'm not complaining!"

Genesis was slowly getting more and more irritated with each passing minute. The three cadets stood back, watching the whole ordeal with raised eyebrows. Dio ignored the fuming ball of Commander and turned towards the other three.

"Hey boys, this must be an exciting adventure for you. Ever been to the Gold Saucer before?" Without waiting for an answer, the man continued. "Of course you have! I'm sure you know your way around." He turned back to Genesis. "Well, thanks for your help. When you catch them, just bring them back here. I need to go. I'm a busy man, after all! Take care, my boys!"

And with that, Dio left and slammed the door behind him. All that was left of the man was the loud laugh trailing in his wake.

"That little…" growled the Commander.

Cloud glanced warily at Genesis but was relieved to find that he was gradually getting calmer.

The Commander closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. "_The wandering soul knows no rest…" _Not knowing what the red-haired man meant, the other three remained silent.

Kolter, the ever intelligent one, spoke up with a smirk. "LOVELESS, Act 1." To his chagrin, Genesis simply looked at him with a slight fire in his eyes.

"Yes, but do you know what it means?" His voice came out smooth yet somehow monotone as he waited expectantly for the response. Kolter, on the other hand, looked slightly taken aback.

"Uh…"

"Yes?"

"I don't have all day, grunt."

"Uh…it means that the owner…wanders and…never rests?"

Silence. Cloud bit his lip to keep the quiet laugh at bay whereas Sehk was grinning rather evilly. Genesis was shaking his head with disappointment in his eyes and a deep frown embedded in his features and Kolter dropped his head in embarrassment.

Deciding enough was enough, Cloud got over his initial mirth and brought the group back to reality. "We have a mission to complete."

The red-haired First glanced at him—was that curiosity?—and nodded, closing his eyes again. "Yes, Strife is right." Sighing, he slowly opened his eyes and turned them onto Kolter. "How many sections are there?"

Kolter faltered a bit before jerking alert. "Seven squares, including here, sir! Ghost, Wonder, Chocobo, Battle, Event, Speed and Round."

Genesis nodded and suddenly switched into Commander Mode. "Johnston!" Here Genesis was referring to Sehk. "You take the Round Square and the Speed Square. Trudeau, head to the Chocobo Square and the Event Square. Strife, take the Wonder Square and the Battle Square. I'll check everywhere in between. If you see a ghost or something, grab them and take them back here. Got it?"

It was Sehk who frowned and hesitantly spoke up. "Uh, sir…how are we supposed to grab a _ghost?_"

Genesis seemed to stop at this question, a little taken aback. He scowled and laid a hand on the hilt of his sword. "Threaten them, force them, herd them, I don't care. Just get them here. And hurry. Now move!"

None of them hesitated to carry the order. Each one ran out of the building and flew down their respectable tunnels, disappearing into the darkness.

Little did they know what awaited them.

* * *

Reno was _not _in a good mood.

First off, he and Rude had arrived in the middle of the night and there were ghosts _everywhere. _Secondly, they had to blow most of their gil on the tickets. Who knew those things were so damn _expensive? _On top of that, the only place to stay was a creepy deserted hotel. And guess how much that cost?

Needless to say, the two Turks were almost completely drained of their gil. To make things worse, when they went out to spy on Kolter, they were forced to pay for another set of tickets. That left them with about 6 gil. Nobody told him that when they left the Gold Saucer, they couldn't come back in! And on top of all _that, _that stupid blonde kid was on to them!

Just when he thought things couldn't get any worse, Reno found himself sitting on a pink chocobo in the chocobo races.

Just how the _hell _did he end up _here!?_

The last thing the Turk remembered, he was following Kolter into the Chocobo Square. Rude had left to stalk the rest of the group, so Reno went alone. Everything else was a blur of people yelling. Next thing he knew, he was sitting on a _pink _chocobo for Planet's sake in front of an entire cheering audience.

Yeah, he was definitely in a bad mood.

Reno couldn't elaborate on that thought as the shot went off and the chocobos started racing forward. All around him was the thud of chochobos' footsteps and the obnoxious cheers of the audience, drowning out any coherent thought left in his head. Reno couldn't string two ideas together as he was jostled left and right by his chocobo and he watched the other riders zoom right past him. Reno quickly found himself bringing up the rear and his chocobo didn't make to catch up.

Suddenly, the essence of the situation set in and the red-head's eyes sharpened determinedly.

He. Would. _Not. _Lose.

Reno's competitive nature quickly set in and he leaned forward, gripping the rings of the chocobo's saddle. With a battle cry, he kicked its side and rocketed off. The crowd's cheers grew louder and louder, fuelling Reno's determination and adrenaline. He smirked at the other riders as he zoomed past them, the smirk dancing playfully on his lips. The smirk wavered when he noticed a player subtly moving in to trip his chocobo.

Nobody out-Turks the Turks.

With another swift kick to the chocobo's side, Reno moved out of the way and slowed down a bit so he could land himself behind the offender. The poor guy never knew what was coming when Reno twisted his waist to the side, forcing his chocobo to do the same, and landed a hard kick behind the jockey's red chocobo.

That'll teach 'em that you don't mess with a Turk!

Reno let out an evil laugh—which drowned in the uproar of the race—as the jockey went spiralling out of control and slammed into the sidewall of the track. He didn't spare him another glance as he continued to zoom on forward, but didn't miss the telltale smell of burning gasoline. The crowd roared, encouraged by the violence, and edged Reno on. He had this in the bag!

Looking up, the red-head noticed only three more people ahead of him. Well, those will be dealt with easily, Reno thought as he grinned. He leaned forward to speed up his pace, feeling the wind dance through his hair and ruffle his clothing. The racer in third quickly zoomed into his vision and Reno prepared for another assault, but there was no need to hurt this one because the green chocobo was clearly tiring. Its slender green head was drooped in fatigue, ignoring the jockey's frantic yells. Reno took this time to grant his chocobo a well deserved rest and slowed down slightly, giving the pink creature time to replenish its energy. Now there was only one rider ahead of him, and it was only as he slowed down did he realize just how _far _the rider was. He could just barely make out a tuff of blonde hair and a figure slightly resembling a girl's…Well, she wasn't going to beat him!

Reno urged his chocobo on forward, but it didn't budge. He gave it a hard kick but only received a glare in return. Getting more and more frustrated by the second, Reno yanked at the rings and nearly got hurled off. In panic, he glanced at the course layout.

She was almost to the end!

He looked down hurriedly, hoping to move the thing by sheer will. When that didn't work, he began yelling at it.

"Come on, you damn chocobo! We _had _it! Move!"

To his surprise, the chocobo started running—not without a glare—down the track and towards the girl. Reno gave a whoop as he rocketed forward. "That's the spirit!" His maniacal grin started wavering when the blonde girl went faster, not even sparing a glance at him.

Oh _hell _no. He wasn't going to lose to a _girl._

With another battle cry, the red-head leaned forward so far he might as well have sunk straight through the feathers. This caused the chocobo to run so fast the other rider was quickly looming into his vision.

So was the goal.

_Shit! _Was all Reno could think as he saw the girl pass the goal and skid to a stop, earning a loud roar from the audience. The sound was deafening and drowned out all common sense the Turk had for the moment.

Reno didn't know this until the last minute.

He couldn't stop.

**CRASH  
**  
The resounding explosion—or it sounded that bad to Reno—was huge. All that followed was pain and the groans of a (rather strong) body beneath him. The pink chocobo was pecking at him furiously and the Turk could have sworn the blue one broke a leg from the way it was limping…or maybe that was his swirling vision. He really didn't know anymore.

"Ght…ophhh…oph mhee!"

The low, muffled—but definitely pissed—voice almost didn't reach his ears through his thick skull and the _still _cheering crowd. He frowned through the daze. Something wasn't right. Wasn't a girl supposed to have a higher voice? Then again, if guys could scream like girls than maybe it was also the other way around…

Instead of actually getting off to check, the red-head laid there and contemplated a thousand ridiculous theories in his head. It could have been a few seconds or a few hours that he laid there, but eventually Reno was forcibly shoved off.

"I'm not a fricken bed, Reno," came the clipped tone. Said Turk found himself staring at a very irritated looking _man_, but recognition dawned in his eyes when his mind came back into focus.

"You!"

A hundred emotions flickered through the spiky-haired kid's clear blue eyes, but before Reno could place any, his face fell into a deadpan. He completely ignored the Turk's presence as he quickly turned around and started leaving, presumably to collect the prize that _should have been his._

Why that little…

Reno made to follow him, idly acknowledging a thought floating around in his head. How did he know his name? Ah well, Reno must be getting famous these days. All the better, he mused. But there was still something suspicious…

He noticed the kid grabbing his money and high-tailing it out of there. Reno scowled inwardly before preparing to run after him, but movement in the corner of his eye halted him—not that there wasn't enough movement already, but this was rather suspicious. Turk instincts immediately took over—thoughts of the cadet all but gone—and he whipped his head around, straining to find the source of his discomfort. Not long after, a sadistic smile crept up onto his features as he observed the shadowed figure heading towards the exit.

Target sighted.

* * *

The clock ticked steadily into the silence, disrupted only by the shuffling of papers and the swipe of a pen across paper. It was at times like this that Sephiroth enjoyed, relishing in the quiet of his office and the repetitive comfort of a job like paperwork. The thrill of battle was what defined him, kept him sane, but it was in here that Sephiroth truly felt at ease. He was raised to be disciplined, a perfect child, a weapon of Shin-Ra. A dry laugh escaped the silver-haired man's throat at he lingered on that thought. He supposed being raised only applied to those who had a childhood. Sephiroth wasn't even granted that.

Absent-mindedly, the General's thoughts once again drifted to the mother he never met: Jenova (but little did he know it was not Jenova who awaited him, but JENOVA). He was constantly doing that these days, as if someone were almost…calling to him. Sometimes, the man could swear he still felt her presence warming him, embracing him; others, it felt as if he was an empty vessel sailing on a dead sea.

And so with this thought in mind, the General returned to his paperwork, thoughts like these amongst others of a similar fashion keeping him company in the cold, stark room.

Flip. Flip. _Swipe. _Flip. Flip. _Swipe._

_**The clock spins faster.**_

**It's starting.**_**  
**__  
_He soon lost track of time, simply drowning in the rhythm of the motions and the ticking of the clock.

A sudden knock on the door dragged him harshly into reality. Tempted to grumble—but he was the General, he couldn't complain—Sephiroth pushed himself out of his chair and marched to the door. He pulled open the door without hesitation and was not surprised at the figure in the doorway staring accusingly and rather worriedly at him.

"Angeal," he said simply, his baritone voice reverberating throughout the room. Said man stepped inside without invitation, immediately turning to give him _The Look._

"Sephiroth…it's almost three in the morning. What are you still doing here?"

The silver-haired man turned to his window and was genuinely surprised at the dark that greeted him. Well, Midgar was always dark, but even more so at night. He then slowly turned his head towards the clock and took in the glowing green numbers. _2:39 am._

"Hm…" Sephiroth hummed curiously, glancing boredly at his paperwork. He then looked back at Angeal. "What are _you _still doing here?" The First was still in his uniform, indicating that he wasn't planning on going to bed anytime soon. Sephiroth designated this with a pointed look at the man's clothing.

Angeal sighed under his gaze, suddenly looking more tired than before. "I got called down."

"Fair?"

The dark-haired man frowned, upset at the implied insult to his mentee. "No, not Zack. He has potential, you know. He doesn't always fool around." His frown tightened into a thin line. "Lately the monster population has been increasing. There are some terrorizing Sector 3 right now, so they called me."

Sephiroth frowned as well. "Why didn't they call me down? I am perfectly capable of doing it myself."

Angeal deadpanned. "Well...you're the General. They don't want to both—"

"That is not an excuse; they do not care whether I am bothered or not," Sephiroth shot and then tapped his foot impatiently, waiting for an acceptable answer. His old friend was taking his time, but sighed again, probably opting to tell the truth.

"Midgar is scared of you, Sephiroth. You can't go; you'll frighten everyone."

Sephiroth nodded, accepting the answer because he already knew, had just wanted to hear it from his old friend.

After all, he was a monster, wasn't he?

Sephiroth feigned disinterest and made a waving motion towards the door with one hand. "Go. You shouldn't keep them waiting, Angeal. Finish the job quickly and get some sleep yourself. You look exhausted. "

Angeal quickly grew scolding like the mother chocobo he was. "Sephiroth, _your_ sleep—"

"I know, I know," Sephiroth cut him off impatiently; "I'll head up soon. I just need to finish some things."

"But Seph—"

"_Would Angeal Hewley please report to Director Lazard's office immediately. Angeal Hewley to Director Lazard's. Thank you."_

Said SOLDIER First frowned deeply at the announcement, then looked Sephiroth straight in the eye.

"Sleep."

The silver-haired General said nothing more, simply watched his friend leave with an accusing stare thrown at him. The door shut behind the dark-haired First, trapping Sephiroth in the dark room once again.

He turned back to his papers—sleep the last thing on his mind—and began his work again, losing himself in the rhythm once more for the rest of the night.

Like a perfect machine would.

A _puppet _of Shin-Ra.

* * *

Blonde spikes jumped all over his head, his feet stumbled and his heart pounded as Cloud leapt into the Wonder Square.

That was close. Too close.

He silently cursed himself for his ignorance and for using the Turk's name, silently praying to whoever may listen that the man hadn't thought anything of it. What the hell was _Reno_ doing in the Gold Saucer, anyways!? That meant that Rude was here too. They were the ones he caught earlier, that was for sure. Red hair, bald head…Cloud couldn't believe he didn't figure it out sooner.

The Turks were a _bad _sign.

An audible jingle from his pocket brought the blonde out of his stupor. His lips inched upwards ever so slightly. At least he had gil now. Double checking, Cloud found about 3,000 gil in his possession. Granted, some of that might have been lingering in Genesis's pocket, but the man probably wouldn't notice. After all, he's the one who gave it to Cloud in the first place, right?

Ignoring his conscience, the blonde began casually strolling into the Wonder Square, half-expecting to run into Cait Sith. That thought sent a stream of others into his brain and soon Cloud found himself frantically examining the area, expecting to catch Reno, Rude, Reeve, or anyone else who dared to spy.

There! Movement!

Cloud ran after the faint movement he saw heading towards the inside of the Wonder Square. He pushed past the few people who lingered, earning curious, wary and irritated stares. Disregarding them, he continued to run, rapidly catching up to the intruder. As Cloud neared the figure—thing, as he soon realized—he found out that it was indeed one of the ghosts/monsters that had escaped from the Haunted Hotel.

Well, might as well get the job done.

Cloud steadily grew more determined as he neared the monster—ghost, as it turned out to be. This was going to be a challenge, but Cloud didn't mind. Challenges were what he lived for; after all, he was just some delivery boy without them. The jingle of gil in his pocket as he ran was simply the cherry on top of the whole ordeal.

During his little chase, the damn thing had the nerve to grin at him and then run off somewhere. Cloud quickly grew very, very frustrated and his mood sank like a three-hundred-pound stone in water.

Soon, the blonde found himself inside the Wonder Square and surrounded by the arcade-like games. He caught a fleeting glance of the ghost shooting him an immense, blood-chilling grin before completely disappearing. Surprised, pissed and more than a little unnerved, Cloud ran after the fleeing image but stopped immediately when something caught his eye in one of the vending machines off to the side.

Was…was that a black chocobo?

Already in a bad mood, Cloud really couldn't think straight. A fleeting thought flew through his head and unfortunately, he grasped it.

_Voodoo…_

Yeah, he lost it. It was only inevitable, after all. Being thrown into your past really did take its toll.

Somewhat mesmerized, Cloud determinedly made his way towards the vending machine, eyes set on his prize. This would be a cinch. It was directly in front and on the top; an easy kill.

He stepped up to the machine and bent down, inserting 100 gil into the coin slot, and stood up again, grasping the controls. This was it.

The game whirred to life and Cloud turned the handle, directing the crane left, then forward, then left again, then right, then…just a few more millimeters…and…

Down!

A slow, malicious smile grew on Cloud's face as he watched the crane descend _ever so slowly _onto the toy_._ The crane hovered over the chocobo, grasping at it…

And lifted up a stuffed panda instead.

The machine never knew what hit it as two fists started slamming on it and the flimsy glass responded by creaking dangerously. "No! I was so close! No! No!" Cloud's frantic yells echoed into the area, earning more stares than was probably good for him. He didn't notice, instead opting to insert another 100 gil into the machine.

And again the cycle went, Cloud aiming for the chocobo and the chocobo alone.

This time, he knew he had it. There were no more toys in reach of the crane aside from his sole prize. The crane went down and Cloud leaned back in satisfaction. This time, it would be his.

A stuffed giraffe greeted him.

"Agh!" _Slam. _"Stupid!" _Slam. _"Machine!" _Slam._

He was Cloud, Savoir of the Planet, Defeater of Sephiroth, Avenger of Shin-Ra…and here he was, being beaten by a stupid _vending machine?_

He _refused!_

Determination setting in deeper than he thought possible, Cloud inserted another 100 gil and prepared to try again. He could do this!

* * *

2700 gil later, Cloud was completely broke and no more closer to his goal then he had been before. He was surrounded by stuffed animals of all kinds, small toys, some GP and candy. A permanent scowl was set onto his face as he stared at the black chocobo, which somehow avoided the crane. It was almost the only toy left!

He was defeated! By a vending machine!

With a scowl, Cloud punched the machine again. A crack flew across the screen and the blonde smirked in satisfaction. He pulled his fist back, prepared for another shot, when he was suddenly tackled to the ground.

"Oomph!"

He squirmed and managed to twist his body around, glaring at who dared to keep him from his goal. It was obviously security, but Cloud wanted a good look at their faces.

And his eyes widened.

"Hey bubby!" About seven manly faces greeted him, smiling widely. "You can't touch the machine, alright?" The man in front pushed Cloud up to his feet and the blonde froze, staring at them with utter horror. They leaned in, studying him closely.

"Don't we know you? "

"He's that guy!"

"From the Honeybee Inn!"

"Oh right! Bubby!"

"Good to see you!"

"Hey!"

"Howdy!"

(Smile smile)

With a yell, Cloud tried to bolt but was unfortunately stopped by a thick, muscular hand. He squirmed again, trying desperately to get out of their grasp. With horror, he realized he was being dragged out of the Wonder Square. The closest man looked down at him.

"You broke a machine. We can't let you get away, bubby, but we should get together after this, have some fun!"

A growl rose from the blonde's throat and he aimed a kick at the nearest man's abdomen. Surprise and shock settled in when his foot was grabbed by a suit-covered hand.

"Rude!?

* * *

Koter's long legs strode towards the figure at the back of the chocobo arena, his face shrouded in darkness. The man in the corner awaited him, object in hand.

It wasn't long before he was pulled into the corner, shushed to keep from revealing their location. Kolter allowed a smirk to rise up on his face as he eyed his prize.

"Here's the GP, but first," the man—boy, as it turned out to be—held his hand out expectantly. Kolter shoved about 6000 gil into his hand and grabbed the GP before the boy could change his mind. He made to walk away and slip into the shadows but the kid grabbed his hand.

"Are you sure you don't want the enhancement drugs? I could get my hands on some."

Kolter shook his head with a knowing smirk. "I got Hojo on it."

The boy's eyebrows rose slightly. "How?"

The cadet simply put his finger to his lips, signalling that he wasn't going to reveal anything. Before leaving, he gave the boy a once over. "Aren't you too young to be going into this business?"

The kid fervently shook his head. "I got plans."

"You know, if you want a good hiding place, try outside the entrance. Near the pond."

The other nodded. "I'll check it out. Why do you need so much GP, anyways? Not like there's anything good out there."

A new voice spoke out behind them, causing their blood to freeze and their heart to pound. They slowly turned around in unison, bracing themselves to face the intruder.

"Oh, there's plenty good. Drugs, booze, counterfeit, I know it all." The tone was lethargic yet had a deadly edge to it. He grinned at them, his smile anything but friendly. "Would you like to know where to find some?"

The boy and the cadet could only stare in mock horror at the black suit and prayed that this was all a dream, that it was actually a police officer or something. Kolter closed his eyes and opened them again. No, it was true. A Turk. They were screwed.

"Come on, boys, what do you have here? Enhancement drugs? I have money; I'll buy your whole stock."

Still no answer. They were already screwed; might as well not endanger themselves further. Personally, Kolter didn't trust his mouth right now. If it were a police officer or someone else, he would have taken action, beat the guy up and made a run for it. Right now, all he could do was stare up at the Turk like a fool.

The red-head continued to grin down onto the two of them evilly when suddenly his PHS rang. Grumbling something about ruining his fun—what his idea of fun was, Kolter didn't want to know—the Turk pulled it out and flipped it open, holding it up to his ear.

"Reno here."

He listened a bit and started smiling manically. Kolter shivered; he didn't like the looks of that.

"Are you sure about this, boss?"

More silence; then, "Sure thing, boss." He shut the phone with an audible _snap _and grinned down at Kolter.

"Guess what? Shin-Ra doesn't need you anymore."

Kolter's stomach sank and his blood froze in horror. He felt like someone had slapped him, which they might as well have had. The dealer made a run for it—idiot—but was stopped by the Turk.

Reno grabbed the boy's arm and tightened it treacherously. "Oh, no you don't. I didn't get my fill yet." The red-haired Turk clucked his tongue sharply and released the boy, shoving him into the wall—_hard—_as he did so. Kolter didn't dare make a move. He tensed when Reno's fiery gaze shifted onto him.

"Well, what do we have here? A big, brave _cadet,_ eh? Thought you could hide from us for long, _Trudeau?"_

A shiver ran down Kolter's spine at the deadly tone used to stretch out his last name. His blood quickly started to boil in anger at his helplessness and, stupidly, he flared out at the Turk.

"What do you want, you damn Shin-Ra dog?"

Okay, it was a stupid question. He snapped his mouth shut in horror at what he just said. Brilliant. Just brilliant.

Reno's eyes sharpened dangerously but the grin never left his face. If anything, it grew more feral. "If I'm a dog, you must be a pig."

Kolter scowled. "You make me want to puke."

"You make me think somebody already did."

"Everything you're saying is stupid!"

"Just making sure you can understand." At this point, Reno looked both bored and entertained, if that was even possible. His hand tightened around the hilt of his trusty weapon and he stepped forward. "Now what should I do with you? Take you back to Shin-Ra?" He flicked the switch on the EMR, watching it crackle dangerously. "Or turn you into bacon?"

Kolter pulled out his sword and held it to Reno's throat. "I'll pass, thanks. I hope you get my point."

Reno smirked and batted the sword away with his free hand. "You're landing yourself in a grave situation, kid." He raised the EMR and pointed it forward. "Say your prayers."

Sparing a glance behind him, Kolter grabbed the dealer and held him in front like a shield. The red-haired Turk laughed at the sight and pushed the weapon further. The dealer grew pale as the weapon neared and tried to push himself back. No luck.

**Zap**

It wasn't a big shock, but enough to knock the dealer unconscious. He rolled away, smoking. Reno ripped the coat off the kid and slung it across his back, leaving the dealer on the floor. His orders were to take Trudeau; no one else.

At this point in time, Kolter knew he was screwed. He closed his eyes shut and braced himself for the shock.

The smirk wiped off of Reno's face, quickly replaced by a loose frown. He cranked up the voltage on his EMR and held it to Kolter's chest.

"Good night."

**ZAP**

* * *

The ring of a PHS broke through the noise, forgotten in the pocket of a black suit. Its owner had his hands full of a certain blonde's arm.

"Rude!?"

Ignoring the fact that the cadet knew his first name, said Turk pulled the man back to his feet. The muscular men opened their mouths to protest, but Rude waved them off. He had this. They left without further protest; probably back to Dio or to bust someone else.

The blonde stared at him through narrowed eyes. Rude remained stoic, examining the blonde himself behind the safety of his sunglasses. He knew this man was a cadet, but why he was wearing a First Class uniform and looked around twenty confused him. The staring contest ended when the man before him spoke up, his voice soft and low.

"What did you come here for?"

The question was said with heavy suspicion, but for what Rude didn't know. His own suspicions arose when he noted that the blonde's eyes were guarded, wary and distrustful. That was not what a cadet should be thinking. This man was more than that, which was obvious.

"Not for you." The Turk's answer was short and gave away nothing. It didn't, however, satisfy the blonde.

"Don't give me that. What are you here for?" Again, Rude was slightly surprised at the distrust this man showed. It was puzzling, to say the least.

"Who are you?" Rude sidestepped the question. The blonde seemed to know he wasn't going to get an answer and shrugged but didn't lower his guard.

"Why did you grab me?"

So they were playing _this _game. Rude decided to answer the question, knowing if he asked one of his own, the blonde would sidestep it. "I've seen what those men can do."

That seemed to be enough to satisfy the other man. The blonde turned around sharply and began walking off. Rude cleared his throat but was ignored; the man kept walking.

"At least give me your name," Rude called out in a rare show of talkativeness.

The man stopped and tilted his head to the side, acknowledging Rude's presence. "You'll figure it out."

He began walking again, a little faster this time. The Turk watched the other man go before his PHS started ringing again. He pulled it out of his pocket, his gaze never leaving the other man. He was absorbing every detail, planning on taking the blonde's word. He _was _going to figure this out. It would be a cinch.

The Turk flipped his phone open and held it to his ear.

"Rude! Where have you been?" came the slightly irritated voice.

"Reno," he acknowledged him, saying nothing more. The red-haired Turk humped on the other line but knew he wasn't going to get another answer.

"Whatever. Mission complete."

"Have you dealt with the target?" he asked, having gotten the same call as Reno did before.

"All clear."

"Good. Meet me in the Wonder Square."

"Roger that!" The line went dead. Rude pocketed the device and leaned against the wall, waiting for his partner to arrive.

* * *

Cloud had heard the last part of the conversation, the part about the target. What did they mean by dealt with? And who?

Personally, he suspected Kolter. If the blonde himself wanted to keep an eye on the secretive cadet, surely Shin-Ra had their eye on him as well? They probably killed him, he mused. That would explain why Cloud had forgotten about Kolter. The others rang a slight bell, now that he thought about it…

There was also the problem with Hojo. The cadet had clearly made some sort of deal with the scientist. Did Shin-Ra find out about _that? _Probably not. He needed to find proof to prove Hojo guilty, but that would be almost impossible. The scientist wasn't stupid; once he finds out about Kolter's death, he would erase all evidence. Another reason why Hojo wasn't kicked out of Shin-Ra in the future.

With Kolter dealt with, there was only Genesis, Sehk and he left, and Cloud sure as hell wasn't going to complete the mission. He couldn't care less. The blonde exited the Wonder Square building and located the tunnel for the Battle Square, ignoring the ghosts and monsters lurking around. Genesis was going to kill him, but what did he care? He was practically even with the man; maybe even more so, now that his body was returning to normal. Cloud hopped into the tunnel feet first, his mind elsewhere.

A rush of familiarity hit him as soon as he landed in the Battle Square. He was itching to train in the arena, but he didn't have any GP…Stupid vending machine; he should have grabbed the GP when he had the chance.

Cloud made his way up the tall set of steps anyways, hoping to somehow find some GP or at least watch a good fight. He pushed past the doors and was greeted with a familiar sight. The blonde walked casually down the aisle, taking in his surroundings. An area to his right caught his attention and Cloud turned that way.

He quickly found himself in the same room where he had found the keystone; Dio's collection room. It was already made? Cloud stepped in further, curious as to what he would have in there.

And froze.

A long, steel weapon hung on the center of the front wall, clearly Dio's most prized possession. It glinted in the light, freshly cleaned and looking brand new.

First Tsurugi.

There was no mistaking it; Cloud would know his weapon anywhere. His mouth fell open and he rocketed forward, hands all over his trusty sword, examining every nook and cranny. Oh Planet, did he _miss _his sword!

"Hands off, boy!"

Cloud whirled around at the demanding voice, ready to punch whoever dared separate him from his sword. It was none other than Dio with his hands on his hips, staring sternly at Cloud. The blonde glared ice back at him and dramatically touched the sword, gauging his reaction. Dio stepped forward with his hand out, slightly annoyed.

"I said hands off! That's my most prized possession, you know?"

Cloud ripped the sword off its rack and made a show of touching it before letting it lean casually against his side. His glare intensified. "Where did you find this!?"

To Cloud's surprise, Dio leaned back and laughed. "Mideel, abandoned in the forest and stuck in the mud. Whoever left it there must really not want this sword."

Realization dawned in Cloud's eyes and his grip tightened on the hilt of his sword. "This is mine; I lost it."

The other man stopped laughing and went back to staring sternly at Cloud. "Prove it, boy."

The next thing he knew, Dio was pushed up against a wall, sandwiched between the wall and a very, very pissed Cloud. If he was wearing a shirt, it would probably be balled up in the blonde's fist. "Listen, this is _my _sword and I'm taking it _back. _I've got _no_ time for your s_tupid _arguments, _capeesh?"_ Cloud hissed. When it came to his sword, Cloud was not going to tolerate people getting in his way.

Dio paled slightly, reminding Cloud strangely of Don Corneo. He shoved that thought away quickly and focused on the man in front of him. "I'm sorry, but I can't gi—"

A fist was rapidly closing in with the owner's face and he hurriedly finished his sentence. "I-I-I mean, if it's yours, then…y-you can have it! I made it n-nice and shiny f-for you!"

Cloud shoved Dio back into the wall and backed away, holding his sword protectively against his body. "Glad we came to an understanding."

Dio nodded. "M-me too."

Cloud turned around and bolted out of the arena, glancing back once to make sure the owner wasn't going to do anything he would regret. He then jumped into the tunnel for the station.

Screw the mission. Cloud was going to Nibelheim.

* * *

**Dun dun DUNNN. What's going to happen? Well, tell me what you want to happen! Or what you think will happen. Or what you thought of this chapter. Or anything, really. Drop a review, please!**

**Oh, and did I characterize Sephiroth properly? It was my first try at writing his inner monologue.**

**Thanks to everyone who has supported me so far! I hope you're enjoying the story. I might take a small break but...maybe not. I love writing too much. Until next time!**


	9. Plan And Escape

**ShooTheOtherGuy here with another chapter!  
I worked very hard on this one, and it was pretty fun to write. If you like Genesis and Cloud interaction, then you'll love this chapter because that pretty much makes up most of the almost 10,000 words. There is a lot of information in here.**

**Also, to noodlepower and SubZeroChimera...Stop predicting my chapters! I swear both of you reviewed as soon as I would put something, and I would be like ...they know...But yeah, am I that predictable? XD**

**Just kidding, I really appriciate the reviews and such. Last chapter got a whole bunch! Thanks so much, guys! :D 3**

**If you would like to know, yes, there will be more Zack and other characters later. I've pretty much spammed Genesis right now and the others will have big parts to come. Another thing, we are not even coming close to the end yet, so don't worry about certain things in this chapter.**

**Have fun reading!  
**

* * *

Genesis was completely exhausted.

Not physically; the Commander was, after all, in excellent shape. Even after running around the Gold Saucer for what felt like forever, his muscles had yet to complain. Mentally, however, he was at his limit. Normally Genesis was up for any mission, any chance to prove he was a hero. He loved being in charge. Locating the enemy—or target, in this case—was something he fairly enjoyed as well; after all, it helped improve his awareness in battle.

_This, _however,was _not_ what he had meant!

Currently, Genesis pushed past the evening crowd, grumbling under his breath about ghosts and damnation as he headed for the station and glaring at anyone who looked like they might want to talk to him. He had run into countless fans during his hunt, and needless to say things did not go well for the fan if they tried to interrupt his little hide-and-seek game; which, he realized, was exactly what it was. Generally, the Commander liked the attention, but today was most definitely an exception. He was completely and utterly fed up and all he wanted to do was to go home, take a shower and maybe converse with his two old friends, see how they were doing. It seemed he rarely got time for that these days. In fact, the last time he really spent time with them was their spar in the training room about two months ago.

It didn't help that his shoulder wasn't healing.

The thought brought forth a swarm of emotions: weakness, helplessness, anger, confusion, hatred…This caused Genesis to fall into a worse mood than he was moments ago. He desperately wanted to punch something, be it object or living thing. Fortunately for him, as he entered the now-empty station, someone decided to show up to fill in that role.

Unfortunately for the other, that person happened to be Cloud.

The blonde cadet looked up, startled, at Genesis. His expression soon turned into a mixture of guilt and irritation that the Commander couldn't place. However, that was the least of the red-head's worries as he fixed his incredulous gaze onto the outrageously oversized, shiny sword which was held in Cloud's hands and slightly resembled Angeal's Buster Sword. Genesis stepped forward and noticed the blonde tense slightly.

"Where on the _Planet _did you get that sword!?" he practically screamed. Yes, Genesis was not in a good mood today. On top of everything that went on, this was not what he needed.

Cloud flinched minutely and turned his head away from Genesis, avoiding the man's gaze and his question, therefore successfully angering him further.

"Strife, I am _not _in the mood! Tell me."

"…No." The answer was curt and toneless. He made to walk to the exit, turning his back on Genesis as if he didn't think he was a threat. Affronted, the red-haired Commander clenched his fists and his eyes sparked dangerously.

"What was that?"

Surprisingly, the cadet whipped around and glared ice right into his fiery gaze. His next words were spoken in a low growl with a deadly edge to it. "I have somewhere I've got to be, Genesis. I have no time for this." And with that, he had the nerve to turn away from him _again_ and continue his way to the exit.

Now furious at the lack of respect and the sudden leave, the Commander huffed and smoothly intercepted Cloud, grabbing his shoulders roughly as he did so. Or at least, he planned to. The blonde swiftly brought up that oversized monstrosity of his to block the red-head's interference. With a flick of his wrist, Genesis was pushed back slightly.

That was it.

Now absolutely _livid, _Genesis unsheathed his beloved Rapier and held it to the blonde's throat.

"Let's try this again, shall we?" the Commander growled back, pressing the sword slightly further into Cloud's neck. The blonde didn't even flinch, but his eyes betrayed faint surprise and he looked curiously into Genesis's own blazing eyes. Whatever he saw there he didn't like, because the cadet's eyes widened slightly before narrowing again. The blonde's icy blue eyes held mixed emotions that the red-head couldn't place, which frustrated him even more. People cowered under Genesis's wrath; they didn't challenge his authority! And then this guy…Genesis scowled and lowered his face near Cloud's ear.

"Know your place, fool," he hissed, "or do I have to put you there myself?" He then deepened the sword into his neck and smirked when the skin broke, letting loose a thin trail of blood. Cloud cringed slightly and raised his hand to push the sword back. Genesis's hand caught his in mid-air and he twisted it in his grip. Cloud's eyes widened—warrior instincts on alert—and _shoved _Genesis backwards, grabbing the same hand the man used to twist Cloud's own and crushing it, but not enough to severely hurt Genesis. The SOLDIER First let out a hiss and yanked his hand out of the blonde's grip, rubbing it gingerly. Cloud stared at him with accusing eyes, his knees bent and sword held in a defensive position.

"What was that for?"

The blonde's voice went slightly high and cracked at the accusation, making him appear childish. His big blue eyes, baby face and slight pout only added to the image. The contrast with his giant, deadly sword was ridiculous. Genesis chucked lowly, successfully surprising the blonde. Said blonde appeared dumbfounded as the Commander continued to laugh before his face slowly twisted into a small smirk. Realizing his blunt and rather aggressive actions, Genesis sighed heavily took a few steps away from Cloud but did not put his sword away.

"_My_ _soul…hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey…_"

He slowly paced around the flabbergasted Cloud, watching him while doing so. "It's been a long day. I…" No, he couldn't apologize. The Commander just _didn't _apologize. "I am in a rather bad mood right now. If I were you, I wouldn't get myself angry." He eyed the trail of blood lingering on the blonde's throat and frowned but said nothing about it, noting that Cloud did not seem to care either. Said blonde did not turn around, simply stayed in place and allowed Genesis to circle him. The red-head heaved another sigh and walked back in front of Cloud.

"Where are you going?" he asked, exasperated. After all, he was the Commander, and he needed to know where his…_team…_was going. (Genesis did _not _like getting buddy-buddy with those inferior to him!).

In front of him, Cloud tilted his head back—idly wiping the blood off with the back of his hand—and let out a small sigh before letting it fall back into place. "It's none of your business." His tone was flat and worn, startling the Commander. That was not what a cadet should sound like. Concerned (but not willing to admit it), the red-head leaned in closer to Cloud, thoroughly examining his features for any clues—as to what, he didn't know himself. The blonde responded by turning his head away from Genesis's scrutinizing gaze and glaring at the floor.

"Hmm…I wonder…" Genesis hummed thoughtfully, his previous mood forgotten for the time being. His eyes travelled up and down Cloud's rather strong frame, really taking him in. His eyes took in the slim yet strong frame, the toned muscles, the guarded way he held himself, the tight grip on his sword...and his curiosity grew tenfold.

"Mako shouldn't do that to you…" It was scary, really, the way the small cadet grew in a matter of a day or two. He never knew the boy or ever saw him in passing, but one look at his picture and you knew that the kid was a weakling. That didn't work with how he looked now. Shaking his head, he acknowledged Cloud's response to his previous question.

"It _is _my business, Strife. _I _am your _Commander_, and _you _are on this mission under _my_ guard." His gaze turned disapproving. "You will not leave." His tone held finality and Cloud finally sighed, concluding that he would never be able to get around Genesis for the time being. Surrendering, he gestured to the Ghost Square.

"If we're not leaving, let's at least settle in. I'm done with this mission and we need to figure out what we'll do next."

Genesis glared at him. "You are not the leader here."

Cloud shrugged.

Gesturing to himself dramatically, he continued in a smooth voice; "I, however, have come up with an even better plan." He closed his eyes in deep thought and when he opened them again, he caught a flash of blonde hair disappearing down the Ghost Square tunnel. His face twisted into an angry scowl and he turned towards the Speed Square, refusing to follow a _cadet's_ orders. The SOLDIER First grumpily headed towards the tunnel, mentally preparing himself for another game of hide-and-seek. Just as he was about to propel himself in, a body flew out and almost slammed into him. With a grunt, Genesis leaped out of the way just in time to find Sehk stumbling, trying to balance himself.

"Cadet! What are you doing?" he barked. The burly boy looked at him. His face was pale, his dark hair wild and he looked stunned. It was clear that he didn't recognize the man at first, but soon recognition dawned and he snapped to attention.

"Sir! Uh…did a ghost pass through here?"

Genesis frowned. "No, it didn't."

Sehk scowled under his breath. "Figures," he mumbled.

The boy stiffly began to walk to another tunnel when Genesis stopped him. "You look like a ghost yourself, cadet," he shot. "What on the Planet happened?"

Sehk turned around sharply, his dark hair ruffling with the quick action. "N-n-nothing, sir."

The Commander's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Nothing?" he said slowly, voice heavy with doubt.

Sehk nodded gingerly. "Yes sir!" His voice came out hurried and desperate, signalling that it was far from nothing. Genesis pressed a pale hand to his forehead, feeling a killer headache coming on. He had dealt with enough trouble today. Mentally making a note to interrogate both Strife and Johnston, he waved off the burly boy.

"Fine. Head to the Chocobo Square, I think I saw something there."

To his surprise, the cadet jumped and fervently shook his head. "No, I…I already checked there. I'll just head to the Battle Square. Maybe Cloud didn't cover them all. Uh, see you later sir!" And with that he disappeared into said tunnel, leaving a very confused and irritated Commander in his wake. Suspicions raised, he made his way to the Chocobo Square. Clearly there was something going on; what, he didn't know. First Strife, then Johnston…he had a feeling he was missing out on something. Not wanting to be kept in the dark, Genesis swore he would get to the bottom of this and made his way to the tunnel, pulling out his PHS as he did so.

He quickly dialled a number and leaped into the tunnel, pressing the device against his ear. The person picked up immediately.

_"What is it, Genesis?"_

"Sephiroth. I have a little mission for you," the SOLDIER First responded, his voice hollow in the empty tunnel. He knew it was probably around four in the morning there, but this was urgent and the General was probably up anyways.

Curious, Sephiroth took the bait. _"A mission?"_

"There are two cadets with me, and I would say they are acting quite suspicious. I was hoping—"

_"Suspicious how?"_

Genesis smirked, noting the barely present eager tone in his voice. "You always did love a good challenge."

Sephiroth hummed slightly into the line and pressed on. _"You want me to look into it." _It wasn't a question.

The Commander flew out of the tunnel and landed softly on his feet, then moved to a discreet corner. Checking around to make sure no one was listening, he continued the discussion. "Yes. Their names are Sehk Johnston and Cloud Strife. Sehk is acting rather strange. He was considerably pale and nervous when I last interacted with him."

_"He's hiding something."_

"That is what I concluded as well. I want you to see if you can get any other information on him. As for Strife…he's the one who confuses me."

_"Does it have anything to do with the effects of the Mako?"_

"No, and that's the problem. The last I saw of him, he had in his possession an advanced sword similar to the size and shape of Angeal's Buster Sword."

A pause. Then, "_Where did he get it?"_

Genesis frowned. "I don't know; he refused to tell me. He also said he was going somewhere and refused to disclose that information as well. He was acting relatively hostile." No point mentioning that the Commander himself was as well.

The General didn't respond immediately. Genesis tapped his foot impatiently, all too aware of the time slowly ticking away. Finally, he responded.

_"That _is_ a problem. Is there anything else strange about him?"_

Sephiroth's tone came out more serious than before and the red-haired Commander hummed in thought. "There is the aging. Strife has grown considerably and his muscles have grown as well. That is very strange, even for Mako. It doesn't just happen when you fall into a Mako pool. And his attitude. He is showing signs of a battle hardened warrior. That is very odd for a cadet. I want you to look up both him and Johnston, not only in the Shin-Ra database but anything else that you can get your hands on."

_"And what makes you think I will carry this out?"_

"Sephiroth, old friend. You cannot turn down a good challenge, and paperwork alone cannot quench this thirst; although I do believe that with the number of reports sent these days, it is quite the challenge to complete them."

A chuckle sounded on the other end. _"You have no idea."_

Genesis hummed again. "When you have the information, I trust you can send it to me…_discreetly?"_

"You wish to keep this hidden from the Turks?"

"You know they will take this case."

_"Very well then, I will get started on it." _Click.

The SOLDIER First pocketed the PHS and slowly began his walk around the Chocobo Square, not quite sure what he was looking for. He passed a couple of sulking players and cheering winners alike but made no comment, instead searching through every face in the area. There were not many people for they were probably watching the game that was going on at the moment. He continued to look, not finding anything suspicious. Sighing heavily and praying to the Goddess that Sephiroth would find something, Genesis settled in for another long search.

* * *

The clang of steel echoed in the vast room, followed by a scraping sound and soft landings. Two SOLDIER Seconds were dancing across the training room, clashing their practice swords together.

Granted, training at four in the morning wasn't a great idea, but being pumped full of Mako didn't exactly lull you to sleep. Zack had an excess of energy and had dragged Kunsel out of bed to train. The two of them had been training for quite a while and were almost completely exhausted by this point.

CLANG

Their swords clashed again and Kunsel jumped back before holding his hands in a time out position. Zack put away his practice sword—used because he didn't want to ruin his Shin-Ra sword—and walked over to the panting Second.

"Man, Zack, you put up a pretty good fight," Kunsel praised, adjusting the Shin-Ra issue helmet on his head. Zack eyed the helmet suspiciously, idly wondering—not for the first time—what was under it. His attention moved when the Second got up and went to the racks to put his own sword away. When he turned back around, Zack was grinning at him.

"Oh, yeah!" Zack did a fist pump in the air before looking back at Kunsel with a smirk. "If you want to be a First, you've got to know how to fight!" He slapped Kunsel on the shoulder and shot him an ear-splitting grin. The other SOLDIER laughed and turned around to drink from his water bottle.

"I'm not lying when I say this, but you're definitely First material," he said between gulps. Zack's hand automatically rose to the back of his head and he rubbed his neck, grinning sheepishly.

"You think so?"

Kunsel looked at him funny, or appeared to; it was hard to tell underneath all that steel. "Of course I think so."

Beaming with pride, Zack rested a hand on his chin and attempted to look thoughtfully at Kunsel. "You know, you're not too shabby yourself."

The Second waved him off. "Oh, stop with the modesty, Zack."

Zack shook his head. "Naw, it's the truth. You fight like you're going to war."

Kunsel stopped what he was doing and slowly turned to look sideways at the dark-haired Second. "That reminds me." He replaced the cap on his water bottle and set it down, then sat on the floor with one knee up. "There's going to be a war."

Zack looked at him oddly, slightly unnerved about the casual way he said it. However, curiosity won over and he found himself walking over to the man and sitting down cross-legged next to him with his hands on his knees. "Oh yeah?"

Kunsel nodded and waved a hand absently in the air. "Yeah, Shin-Ra's going to go to war with Wutai. I heard it's got something to do with some kind of land."

The raven-haired Second hummed curiously and studied his friend with inquisitive blue eyes. "This information valid?"

Kunsel looked at him as if to say _isn't it always?_ Chuckling brightly, Zack rose from his position on the floor. The other SOLDIER Second simply looked up at him as Zack stared down at him.

"What?"

The man on the ground shook his head. "A war is going to happen. Why act so casual?"

Zack's smile didn't falter. "Come on, it's _just _a war. Us SOLDIER's can handle it!" He started doing squats, trying to expel the extra energy suddenly building up inside him even after all the fighting they just did. Kunsel simply watched the raven-haired SOLDIER do the exercise, a light frown pulling the corners of his mouth down.

"Think about it for a minute, buddy. If Shin-Ra goes to war with Wutai of all places, big things are going to go down. Wutai's got a good army."

Continuing to do squats, Zack answered in between breaths. "You think," _pant, _"Shin-Ra's," _pant, _"going to," _pant, _"win?"

"With a lot of bloodshed, yeah."

Frowning, Zack slowly rose out of his squat and stopped. "Where'd you hear this?"

"I have my sources."

Sighing loudly and rather dramatically, Zack put his hands on his hips. "How long do we have?"

Kunsel paused before answering. "I'm not sure, but I think it's very soon. "

"Exactly how long would you give it?"

"Maybe…two weeks? I'll look into it."

Zack's frown deepened. Two weeks wasn't very long; they would have heard about it by now. It then lightened a bit at a sudden thought. A war couldn't be too bad, right? It was his chance to become a hero! Now smiling again, he jumped back into squats.

"Come on…Kunsel…this is going…to be…our chance!...We could…become…heroes!" he exclaimed between breaths. The raven-haired Second thought that if he could prove himself in this war, then Shin-Ra would have no choice but to promote him and he would have his chance.

Kunsel rose into a standing position and began gathering the things he had brought with him, including his water bottle and a cure materia—just in case. "The hero is who Shin-Ra wants it to be."

Zack's smile wavered a bit but he continued to do his squats. So what if he wasn't a hero in Shin-Ra's eyes? That didn't mean anything, right? Heroes had dreams and honour; not fame and glory. Although that would be nice…

"Zack, you're going to pass out if you keep doing those."

Snapping out of his stupor, the raven-haired Second offered Kunsel a guilty smile. "At least I know you're here to scrape my sorry ass off the floor."

Kunsel laughed and smacked him on the back, effectively knocking the Second out of his routine. "It wouldn't be the first time."

With a "hey!" Zack playfully pushed Kunsel back, earning a mischievous grin. If Zack had to guess, he would say the Second's eyes would be sparkling under all that steel.

"You know I love you, man."

Zack put his hands on his hips and thrust out his chin in an arrogant gesture, which broke under the smile dancing across his lips. "Who doesn't?"

Without missing a beat, Kunsel answered, "ninety-nine percent of women."

With mock hurt, Zack placed a hand on the middle of his chest and gave Kunsel his infamous kicked-puppy look. Laughing, Kunsel began making his way to the exit.

"I'm going to try to get some sleep in the," here he checked his watch, "hour we have left. I suggest you hit the sack as well. I don't want to have to drag a grumpy Zack around tomorrow."

Zack hurried to grab his things and ran to catch up. "That's Angeal's job," he said, a smile in his voice.

Kunsel shrugged. "I'll do it, because I'm _such_ a nice guy."

Content, Zack made his way to the SOLDIER barracks alongside Kunsel. They walked in comfortable silence with the occasional joke to one another. However, one thing lingered on Zack's mind.

_A war, huh?_

It wasn't the first war Shin-Ra had ever had, but it was the first Zack would be involved in. In a way, it both excited him and frightened him.

He frowned and looked at Kunsel who walked beside him from the corner of his eye. What if this war was bad and he lost Kunsel? What if he lost—

No! Zack shook his head fervently. He would not let this get to him. Shrugging it off, he forced a smile on his face and continued the walk to the barracks, all the while trying his hardest to banish thoughts of the war and focus on better things.

Everything would be alright in the end, right?

* * *

The springs of the bed creaked as Cloud sat down on it, pulling out his sword as he did so. He set it down next to him and pulled out his items, examining each and every one.

The blonde had entered the Haunted Hotel in the hopes that he could score a room. It turns out that because he was on a mission and he was from Shin-Ra, he could score a room free. It seemed luck was on his side for the time being; first his sword, then the room.

Genesis, on the other hand, pissed Cloud off to no end. It almost made him miss Yuffie's threats to steal his materia. _Almost. _What that guy's problem was, Cloud didn't know.

He sighed and threw his items aside before flopping onto the bed. Yuffie…he missed her and her antics. He missed Cid and his ramblings. He missed Barret and his grumbling. He missed Vincent and his brooding. He missed Tifa and her nagging. He missed Red XIII and his silence. He missed Cait Sith and his fortunes. Oh Planet, he missed everyone.

What was he doing? Going along with Shin-Ra, abiding to their orders? He was a cadet for Planet's sake, Cloud thought with disgust as he looked himself over. A cadet with a petty dream; to become a First. What did that even mean now? Nothing. Who said he had to stay with Shin-Ra, anyways? He had his sword, his materia, his items. Granted, most of his items were in Shin-Ra, but he could get those easily.

Frowning, Cloud glanced at his sword. It gleamed even in the darkness, its deadly edge sharper than ever. Dio really did take care of it, he mused. Why wasn't Cloud just grabbing his sword and leaving? He needed to do so many things: kill JENOVA, kill Hojo, kill Sephiroth, bring Shin-Ra down and keep the innocent _alive. _And here he was, on a stupid mission as a fricken cadet to hunt down some damn ghosts at the Gold Saucer, of all places.

He was pathetic, a waste of a hero. He was a failure. Even under the will of JENOVA and Sephiroth, Cloud had still _done _something. He was now back in time, he could _change _things. But no, he had to fulfill his petty desires in the hopes that he could become someone else.

A dry laugh escaped his throat and Cloud stared up at the ceiling, his face twisted into various emotions: anger, frustration, acceptance. Cloud couldn't _be _someone else. This was his destiny, his cruel fate, his endless cycle. It's not true that life is one damn thing after another; it's the same damn thing over and over. Nothing about him mattered. The destiny of the Planet did. Its fate was in his hands, and he'd be damned if anything happened to it this time around.

His helplessness, his weakness, his desperation…all of this crashed onto his head and determination emerged out of the ruins.

Before the warrior could act, however, he needed a plan. A plan he said he'd make a long time ago. He shot out of bed and stood over his items, his eyes idly going over them as he thought. What could he do right now?

That's right; Nibelheim. He would have gone, too, if it weren't for Genesis. But now that he thought about it, maybe he was being too rash. Cloud sighed and heavily sat down again, closing his eyes and falling onto his back. It wasn't time yet, and who knew how he would act in the presence of JENOVA? Even now, Cloud still didn't trust his mental state.

No, he would need someone to go with him. Vincent? Cloud frowned. He would be the easiest to grab because he was in Nibelheim, but Cloud was skeptical about taking the man into the reactor with him. Vincent's trust wasn't easy to gain. Even in the past, it took quite some time for the man to get accustomed to their plans.

Okay, so no Vincent; not yet, at least. Who, then? That would have to come later, he mused, eyes roaming the ceiling. Getting to Hojo was the most important because he could reach the man while he was still in Shin-Ra. A thought suddenly occurred to him. There was still Aerith and Zack…

_No!_ Cloud immediately banished that thought from his head. He would _not _put them in danger! The blonde clenched his fists and stared angrily at the ceiling, as if it was responsible for this nightmare. He was so close. He couldn't go back to Shin-Ra now; after his show with Genesis, they would interrogate him. But there was still a chance they wouldn't…but what about Sephiroth? And Genesis? Were the Turks even that observant now? What about Zack, what was he doing now? Where did Shin-Ra stand?

Cloud grabbed his head and squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn't do this alone. He was a mess; even back then, his friends had to salvage his sorry ass back to reality. The blonde opened his eyes, a slightly crazed look tainting his pure blue eyes. Shaking his head, Cloud shot out of bed again and began to pace the room hastily. What were his options?

Going back to Shin-Ra was a pretty good looking option. His Mastered Materias were still in his barrack and technically, he was still a cadet. However, Nibelheim was only about two days away, if he got a chocobo or a ride…

If he went back to Shin-Ra, he might not be able to get back to Nibelheim; however, he needed someone to go with him. Tifa? No, she was too young and inexperienced. Red XIII was too far away and Cid lived farther than Nibelheim. Cait Sith didn't exist yet, and Barret…

Snapping his fingers, Cloud stopped pacing and dug through the hotel drawers for a pen and paper. Barret was on the road to Nibelheim, right? He sat on the edge of the bed and rested the paper on the drawer next to it, beginning to draw a map of the world from memory.

"Gold Saucer…here," Cloud mumbled, drawing a rough sketch of the decorative building. "Midgar…heeeere…" He drew as if his life depended on it, which technically, it did. Once the makeshift map was done, the warrior looked it over with frantic eyes.

Corel was on the way to the mountains, where he would be able to hitch a ride onto a chocobo and climb over the mountains straight to Nibelheim. There was an easier way, but it was much longer, Cloud thought as he studied the map. Time wasn't on his side.

He pocketed the slip of paper and got up again, deciding to look over his items once more. He eyed each item, scrutinizing it. The blonde had with him a couple of potions and a bottle of the water that cured Geostigma, but being the idiot he was he didn't bring any of his materia. Cloud dropped his items and moved over to his sword, expertly checking its compartments.

And smirked.

In the eight slots, there were the elementals Bolt and Fire as well as a Restore and an Enemy Skill with a couple of good skills on it. Cloud could have sworn he had one of Sephiroth's attacks on there, too. All of them were close to being mastered. The other four slots, however, were empty, but it didn't matter because he had some good materia on him until he could get his Masters. Cloud let out a heavy breath that he didn't know he was holding, thankful that Dio didn't bother to check the materia. It was a glimmer of hope in his dim world.

Cloud focused his full attention on organizing his items, too occupied in his thoughts to notice the door slowly creaking open.

He froze at the sound of heavy boots creaking on wood, but when the intruder began to speak he immediately knew who it was.

_"Infinite in mystery, is the gift of the goddess..."_

Creeaaak. Creeaaak. His boots approached the blonde slowly, steadily.

_"We seek it thus, and take to the sky…"_

Cloud didn't dare turn his head to look at the intruder, instead glaring down at his items. He was caught.

_"Ripples form on the water's surface…"  
_  
The warrior's mind started turning, calculating his next move, what he should do, how the Crimson Commander would react.

_"The wanderi—"  
_  
"Shut up," Cloud interrupted, whipping his head around to glare at the Commander. "What do you want?"

His brain was failing him; Cloud couldn't come up with anything to do in this situation.

Genesis turned to regard him coolly, but the blonde caught heavy suspicion and fire burning in his eyes. The red-head stopped beside Cloud, his eyes roaming over the blonde's items, drinking them in.

"So, _cadet, _if that's what you really are…what, may I ask, is all this?"

Genesis's smooth voice flowed through the air, yet was tainted with something sinister. His red shaggy hair fell over his eyes, hiding them and creating shadows on his face. Genesis was very intimidating, but so was Cloud. It wasn't going to work on him.

"None of your business."

Genesis's eyes clearly said _don't try that._ Cloud ignored the warning and set his jaw, moving slightly in front of his items in a silent gesture to back off. He thought to reach for his sword, but that might cause the red-head to pull out his own, and Cloud wanted to keep this peaceful.

"None of my business?" Genesis hummed ominously, reaching across the blonde to pick up an unfamiliar item. He looked at the sturdy vial curiously, watching the water slosh inside. "What is this?"Cloud frowned. What Genesis had picked up was the vial containing the water that cured the Geostigma, which was exactly what he was going to use on the man.

"Uhh…"

_Think, Cloud!_

"…I get dehydrated easily."

Nice one.

The red-haired Commander looked skeptically at Cloud. "This is just water?" He eyed the container, probably questioning who would drink water in a container such as that. Cloud bit his lip and nodded, hoping to the Goddess that he would fall for it and put it back down.

"So you wouldn't mind if I…oh, I don't know…drink it? I am rather parched; it has been a long day."

Cloud's eyes widened, but it was too late. Genesis popped open the cap with his thumb and downed the whole bottle before he could stop him.

"Genesis!"

The man let out an exaggerated sigh and set the bottle down, giving Cloud an odd look. "What?"

Cloud stared at him in horror. Aerith's water wasn't meant to be drunk! Especially not for people whose cells contained JENOVA's own; the water was meant to neutralize the cells and _get rid _of JENOVA's essence. For someone like Genesis, whose body was filled with the wretched alien since birth, he didn't know what would happen; the results could be disastrous.

And so Cloud simply stared at Genesis, waiting for something to happen.

The Commander started to get irritated. "What, Strife?"

"You weren't supposed to drink that!" Cloud spluttered out in horror. Now concerned, he walked right up to Genesis and began checking him over. The man swatted him away like a fly.

"What are you doing? What do you mean?"

Cloud bit his lip—_hard_. "Are you feeling fine?"

Something akin to realization dawned on Genesis's face and he loomed over the blonde, a hurried look in his eyes. "What in the name of the Goddess did you do to me!?"

Cloud caught onto his panic and began to panic as well. "I don't know! You drank it!"

"You did not stop me!"

"You should have known better!"

"It looked like water to me!"

"Why the hell would I drink water in that!?"

"Enlighten me!"

Their bickering was cut short when Genesis lurched to the side and started coughing violently. He looked up at Cloud with angry, panicked and fearful eyes before squeezing them shut in pain. The blonde's eyes widened and he grabbed Genesis, laying him onto the bed before checking his temperature and doing his best to console the man.

"What's," _cough, "_happen—"_cough, "_ing!?"

Cloud stared down at him, dreadfulness seeping into his gut. "I…I don't—"

"You **_don't know!?"_**Cloud could do nothing more but stare at Genesis as the man coughed and grabbed at his chest in pain. He then jumped into action and ran into the bathroom, dumping the container that was supposed to hold toothbrushes and filling it up with cold water. He hurried back to the Commander as fast as he could and held the container to his lips.

"Drink this!"

Genesis looked at him balefully. "And send my—" **cough, **"self to the grave?"

"Damn it, just drink it!"

With another glare in his direction, the Commander gingerly took the cup and drank a sip of water before coughing violently again. Alarmed, Cloud grabbed an X-Potion from the floor where it had fallen and threw it at Genesis. The potion twinkled over him and seemed to visibly ease the pain. Cloud gave a heavy sigh and spared a glance at Genesis behind the safety of his blonde locks.

The man had gone silent and was staring directly in front of him with no apparent emotion on his face; however, due to experience Cloud could tell that there was still pain, it had just eased slightly. However, there was something…off about the Commander, although the blonde couldn't quite place it.

Finally, after a long silence, Genesis spoke up.

"The future is uncertain…but the end is always near."

Cloud looked at Genesis in surprise, although inside it felt as if someone had punched his gut. He knew exactly what the Commander was talking about. He had known about the man's degradation, but he thought there was more time. "You...Genesis, you didn't tell me—"

At this the man burst and the blonde noticed that it seemed to pain him to move so violently. "Why would I tell anything to a lowly cadet such as yourself!?" he spat. "You have no right to know; you never did!"

"Gen—"

"Don't _Genesis _me!" he hissed. His glare contained the fires of hell, he was that furious. Cloud took a step back but said nothing, instead allowing Genesis to say what he needed to. The Commander noticed the blonde move back and he seemed to be hurt before becoming more livid, if that was even possible. Cloud immediately regretted moving.

"Who are you to think me a monster?"

"I didn't—"

"Don't give me that!" he growled. "I _saw_ you move back."

Cloud didn't say anything, knowing he had nothing to say.

Genesis scoffed. "As if you are an angel yourself. What a pathetic cadet you are, and even that is a lie! You are nothing but a lie! You are nothing but a puppet of Shin-Ra!"

Cloud winced. That hit too close to home.

"You were a pathetic, weak excuse for a cadet. And what are you now? Mr. I'mjustlikeSephiroth? You think you can just run off? Do you think you're a _hero _now, just because you fell into some **_damn_**** Mako!?"**

The blonde didn't respond, simply stared at the ground. He tried to do anything he could to look away from the enraged SOLDIER and from the shoulder he knew was aching. From files in Shin-Ra and Zack's broken memories, he knew quite a bit about the degradation and Genesis. The water messed up the JENOVA cells and to compensate it sped the process up, Cloud thought in dread. The degradation caused its victims to act rash and angry…Genesis was already showing signs. Not good.

"Is that where you were going, to save the world?" Genesis continued, a hand on his chest from the pain it took to yell. "Well you sure as hell can't! Because you know what? There _are_ no heroes! Shin-Ra decides who wins, not a damn kid like you!"

Silence followed, with Cloud looking anywhere but the First and Genesis emitting rage from his now sitting position on the bed. It continued to stretch, but sparing a glance at Genesis, the blonde could tell that he was calming down some.

A sigh of defeat broke the silence. _"My friend, the fates are cruel…There are no dreams, no honour remains…"_

Cloud sighed as well and looked back. "I know things," he started, deciding to get it out. Genesis already knew something was up; might as well tell him what to do.

Genesis looked blearily at him, curious but not showing it. Cloud continued,

"…that you would never see…not even in your worst nightmares."

The SOLDIER First looked dubiously at Cloud, his eyes narrowed. "Oh?" he asked skeptically, his voice slightly hoarse from yelling.

The blonde shook his head and turned around, tilting his head to the side to address Genesis. "'Course, you wouldn't understand…not yet, and hopefully not ever."

The First hummed ominously, gesturing for Cloud to continue. He didn't, so Genesis prompted him.

"Not yet?"

"In due time," Cloud responded immediately, "you'll find out. But if anything…odd, happens…find and contact me."

"Leaving so soon?"

He nodded, turning back around to pack his items. Genesis cleared his throat before questioning again, knowing the blonde wouldn't answer unless he questioned.

"What may you define as odd?"

"You'll know." Having packed his items, he walked over to Genesis and picked up his sword, holding it up to the light before walking back to the item bag, which was fashioned out of the curtains framing the big window in the room. Behind him, Genesis growled low in the bottom of his throat.

"What makes you so sure I will not report this to Shin-Ra? They will take note of your absence immediately and will send someone to hunt you down."

Cloud frowned. "I know that."

"So?"

He closed his eyes. "I know what I'm doing." _Yeah, right_. "Just…please, contact me if you notice something odd."

Genesis turned his head away. "Betraying Shin-Ra so soon. What for? You see, I was thinking of doing the same thing."

Cloud whipped his head around to level a stern gaze onto the First. "No!"

"Why the hell not!?"

The blonde bit his lip. How much should he tell him? "Just don't. You'll find out…I..." he trailed off, not knowing what to say.

Genesis scowled. "You what? Who do you claim to be, to know all this?"

Cloud turned his head away. "I'm nobody."

"Oh really? Because all this seems like nothing to me," Genesis retorted sarcastically. Cloud ignored him and moved to the window, staring out at the dark, artificial set that was the Ghost Square.

"Hmph," came the grumpy voice from the bed, followed by a creaking sound as the First tried to get off before groaning in pain and falling back.

"I want that uniform back, _cadet," _he mumbled under his breath. Cloud glanced down at the SOLDIER First uniform—minus the leather coat, of course; it was a simple First uniform—and smirked slightly.

"No."Cloud spared another glance at Genesis, peering at him from behind his bangs, and noticed that the man had his eyes closed and leaned his head against the backboard of the bed in defeat. He stared at him for a long while, guilt clenching his insides. If only he hadn't been so stupid…

_I get dehydrated easily_

What did he _think _Genesis was going to do? Put it down nicely and leave him alone in peace? Cloud scowled inwardly, his fists clenching at his sides. JENOVA cells and water from the Lifestream didn't mix. It only cured Geostigma, Cloud told himself. It erased JENOVA's essence in the body; even though Cloud had JENOVA's cells implanted into his own—along with S-cells—he hadn't _drank _the water. What an idiot. This wouldn't have happened if he hadn't let Genesis _see_ him in the first place. What happened to being discreet? The man was a First! No doubt he would go and report this to Shin-Ra. On top of all that, he had probably just doomed his plan. Genesis was sure to blab this to everyone, and it's not like he made his information discreet.

Smart move.

Cloud walked over to the nearest wall and started banging his head slowly against it.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Genesis opened his eyes a crack. "Renovating, I see? The room isn't that bad."

The blonde ignored him and continued to slam his head against the wall. Stupid, stupid, stupid. What was he going to do next? Get that other cadet—Sehk—in on it too, so he could blab to the rest of the cadets?

Cloud vaguely heard footsteps approach the room and soon a hesitant voice spoke up. "Uh…am I interrupting something?"

Wonderful.

* * *

"Uh…am I interrupting something?"

Genesis didn't have to open his eyes to know who it was. The cadet did not take any steps further into the room, and that was just well. The First was having enough trouble dealing with the pain that the accursed water had brought him; he wasn't about to quench the thirst of curious cadets. Even though the X-Potion Strife had used had reduced the pain, it sure as hell didn't get rid of it. He felt like someone was slowly digging out his insides, carving a path from his head to his toes. It was not a pleasant feeling. It took a lot of Genesis's energy to keep from grabbing his chest and looking weak in front of Strife and the cadet. He was not weak! This pain was nothing, he tried to convince himself, ignoring the fact that he was clenching his teeth.

He needed time to think about what he would do. This mission was a failure; Genesis was not a failure! Strife was going to run away, and he could do nothing about it. The man was clearly a warrior; how, the answers would have to come later. Johnston would stay by him, that was a given, but the Commander would rather go alone then come back with the idiot. He didn't need him. As for Trudeau, he hadn't seen him. The First clenched his teeth even harder, angry at himself for letting this happen. If _Sephiroth _had come, none of this would have happened.

Oh, how he hated this.

Sehk's footsteps hesitantly entered the room and Genesis prayed to the Goddess that he wouldn't talk to him.

No such luck there.

"Commander, sir…? Are you—"

"Of course I'm okay! Why wouldn't I be okay?" Genesis shot before the burly boy could complete his sentence. He forced himself to sit up, clenching his teeth so hard he feared they would break as he struggled to sit on the edge of the bed. Opening his eyes, he noticed Cloud still banging his head against the wall.

What was up with him?

What a sight they must have been: Genesis on the bed as if he were dying and Strife on the other side slamming his head against the wall. No wonder the poor cadet was so scared. That was just fine; the cadets these days needed a scare to smack them back into shape.

He pulled his lips back in a scowl, his eyes burning with a strong flame. Nothing was going his way.

Strife stopped damaging the wall and looked blankly at Sehk.

"Let's just hit the sack for now. I'm done." To Genesis's (slight) surprise, the blonde gestured for Sehk to take the only other bed remaining before getting comfortable on the floor farthest from the two beds.

"Are you kidding me, Cloud? First _that_, then this…what do you want me to do? Rip my hair out in guilt?" Sehk spat, but there was no hatred in his voice. Genesis looked sharply at the cadet in surprise, curiosity and anger. He was acting casually in front of a superior! This is not what should be happening, the First thought to himself.

"Cadet!" he growled. The dark-haired boy whipped his head around to face the Commander before he regained his senses and snapped to attention.

"S-sorry, sir. What I meant to say was—"

"Don't _sorry _me. Get it right the first time," he grumbled.

"Ignore him. Just get some sleep."

Genesis glared daggers at the blonde for questioning his authority. "You're still a cadet, Strife. I am your superior. Know your place."

"What else is he supposed to do? Stay awake all night? There's a bed left," Cloud retorted.

"You are not the one giving the orders here!" Genesis shot.

"You're not giving any orders at all. I'm just trying to help."

"I don't recall asking for it."

"You didn't ask for anything."

"Exactly. You shouldn't do anything without my order."

"Well then, what do you suppose he do, _Commander?_"

"Sleep on the floor."

"There's a bed left!"

"So? If he wants to learn something, he should move away from material things. There are no beds on the battlefield."

"You're on a bed."

"If you don't recall, Strife, I'm in pain because of _you."_

"But there are no beds on the battlefield, right Genesis?"Throughout their arguing, the cadet in question was darting his head back and forth between them, probably questioning who he should obey: his superior officer or his fellow cadet.

"Cadet," he called to the dark-haired boy. His head immediately whipped towards Genesis's direction. "If you know what's good for you, you'll listen to me."

The cadet nodded but whipped his head around to face Strife when the blonde motioned to him.

"Hey Sehk, don't listen to him. He's just a Shin-Ra dog, nothing more. There's no one else here; you can sleep on the bed."

"Strife!" Genesis barked, completely livid. The blonde simply shrugged his shoulders. It was right then that Genesis vowed he would report every little detail to Shin-Ra and show this brat who was in charge. He would get the trouble he deserved; Genesis would make sure of it.

The cadet, upon seeing the Commander's blazing eyes, decided to abide to his order and moved towards Cloud to get comfortable on the floor. Cloud shook his head in disappointment.

"Shin-Ra is no good. You should drop out."

Sehk looked at him with both curious and wary eyes but said nothing. Good. Genesis wasn't sure what he would do to him to set him straight if the cadet had said something he didn't like.

He watched as they both spread out on the floor, an expression of hatred and irritation darkening his features. Oh, how he hated this. All of it. Growling under his breath, he promptly rolled over and begged for unconsciousness to ease the pain and his cruel reality.

It never came.

* * *

Fingers flew across the advanced laptop sitting on his desk, his long silver hair hiding his expression as he searched the databases. So far, Sephiroth had found nothing of interest. Cloud Strife was a weak, pathetic cadet who was from some nowhere town called Nibelheim. Sehk Johnston was a strong cadet who excelled in his sword fighting classes, but was your average SOLDIER recruit. The files held nothing useful he could offer Genesis.

Furrowing his brows in frustration, Sephiroth pushed the laptop away from him. Hours of searching and nothing. They were either really dull and held no secrets, or Shin-Ra sugar coated everything and did not put the other information in their files. The latter was more likely.

He leaned his elbows on the desk and put his head in his hands, massaging his temples. What Genesis had told him was bad, and he knew his old friend wouldn't lie about something like that to him. What stumped the General was how a strong cadet like Johnston could act so weak and panicked or how a pathetic cadet such as Strife could carry a sword similar to Angeal's Buster and announce a sudden leave.

There was something very wrong here.

Sephiroth turned his head slightly to the side to glance at the time, his long silver tresses swinging with the movement. It was nearing six in the morning. Time to 'get up,' he supposed. He rose from his seat and paced around his office, deep in thought. These cadets were acting strange, that was a given. He would have to ask Genesis for more info. Shin-Ra kept too many secrets.

Who knew what they were hiding on him?

Banishing this thought, Sephiroth focused on the task at hand. He would not let a mystery like this defeat him. Smoothly, he sat back at his desk. It was time for work, anyways; there was no time for sleep. He flipped through any database that he could find containing information on the cadets at Shin-Ra, making sure to erase his path so nobody could trace the searches back to him.

After flipping through lots of useless information, Sephiroth was ready to throw the laptop to the side and march right over to President Shin-Ra to demand the information. However, something caught his attention.

A war?

Curious, Sephiroth dug through the information. Supposedly, President Shinra had held a very important meeting with the top leaders of Shin-Ra discussing attacking Wutai for something called 'The Promised Land.' The name of the land stirred something within Sephiroth's head. Was it important? He frowned, trying to pinpoint what exactly was bothering him. There was something there, something—

A beeping from his PHS stirred him out of his stupor. He whipped out the device before the second ring and flipped it open. No call, but a message. He read the email with mild interest.  
_  
Sephiroth, old friend.  
I hope you got some sleep, but knowing you, you probably didn't.  
I'm sorry I didn't check up on you, but I couldn't get around to it.  
Don't worry; I'll force you into bed the moment I get there._  
_Also, have you heard from Genesis? I've been trying to get into contact with him,  
but he's ignoring my calls._

-Angeal

The General frowned. He was not looking forward to being forced into bed. Angeal could really be a mother chocobo sometimes, he mused. As for Genesis avoiding his calls, that was strange but not too bad. Judging by how he had sounded on the phone, the Commander probably did not want to talk to anyone. Pocketing the PHS, Sephiroth went back to his computer. He would answer the email later. Now what was he doing? Right, The Promised La—

_Ring ring  
_  
Sighing under his breath, Sephiroth reached to pick up his office phone.

_"Sephiroth?"_

Oh, Planet. "President Shinra."

_"Glad to see the great General up and early! We need this kind of work ethic with the rest of our staff."_

"Is there something you need to tell me?"

_"I thought I would be direct. There is a meeting in my office today at six o' clock sharp. Your attendance is mandatory."_

"I understand."

_"Good. I hope to see you there."_ Click.

Sephiroth hung up the phone, the frown on his face deepening slightly. A meeting so soon? It must be about the war, he presumed. Shutting off his laptop, the General got up to grab a coffee and take a break.

After all, he was still human. He wasn't a machine.

* * *

Cloud's eyes snapped open even though no light entered the artificial set, his sense of timing alerting him that it was morning. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked around the room, taking in the two other beings sleeping. Next to him, Sehk was fast asleep, sprawled out comfortably on the floor. Cloud turned his head to study the still figure of Genesis. The man's fists were clenched and he seemed to be tense, but he wasn't moving much so naturally Cloud assumed he had gone to sleep. There was no Kolter, so the blonde's suspicions were correct: he was probably dead. Grimacing, Cloud made to get up.

Careful not to make any noise, he rose from the floor and looked around for his item bag. He found it under a nice dent in the wall where he had been banging his head the other day. The blonde picked it up and slung it over his shoulder before lifting his sword off the ground and fastening it across his back as well.

To Corel it was, then.

But before that, he needed to get out of the Gold Saucer.

Cloud tiptoed to the exit, careful not to wake the other two up—mainly Genesis. He was close to the exit, so close, and he rested his hand on the doorknob, turning it slowly…

"Going somewhere?"

He knew this was going to happen. Whirling around, his eyes met with the very exhausted and stern gaze of the Commander, who was sitting up on the bed with a hand slung over one knee.

Cloud pressed his lips into a tight line and turned around, ignoring the red-head completely. He yanked open the door and continued to walk right through the door.

He'd be damned if he let Genesis stop him.

Upon hearing the creaking of the bed as the Commander rose from it, Cloud promptly broke into a run. He heard the pounding of footsteps behind him, idly noticing that the steps were stumbling slightly, and jumped into the section for the station.

A rough hand brushed the back of his hair and he heard a sharp curse following it. Cloud tried to propel himself further, doing all he could to get out of Genesis's reach. He could feel the presence of the Commander directly behind him.

_Damn it!_

Clenching his teeth in determination, Cloud prepared to rocket out of the tunnel. Before leaving it, he noticed that there were still quite a few people, even this early. He gasped when he felt a hand brush his boot and he kicked his feet upward, preparing to jump forward.

Just as his head cleared the tunnel, he was roughly pushed to the right.

"Ugh—"

SLAM

Cloud's head roughly hit the edge of the next tunnel, causing spots to fill his vision, and a weight slammed into him, almost breaking his neck. Adrenaline set in and Cloud pushed himself off, but Genesis held on, trapping the blonde between himself and the wall. Their combined weight caused them to swing into the tunnel and they were tumbling down, head over heels.

"Damn it, Genesis!" Cloud managed to choke out through the dizziness. A grunt was offered in response from the other man and they continued to tumble down. Cloud was in front, being pushed from behind by Genesis. He could see the light at the end and braced himself for the landing.

The two tumbled out in a mess of limbs, rolling across the floor until they slammed into something hard. Cloud had a very unpleasant—but good smelling, he noted—mouthful of Genesis's red hair. He spit it out and pushed Genesis off of him, having been under the man.

"Commander Rhapsodos!"

"It's really him!"

"Eek! Take out the camera, quick!"

The man in question groaned and, stumbling, got up. Cloud didn't see his face, but what he did note was that they had entered the Round Square and had slammed into the Gondola, the doors of which were closing. Inside, he saw three teenage girls who were clearly fans of the man. In the split second that Cloud noticed all of this, he _punched _Genesis's knees—ignoring the crack that followed—from his position sprawled on the floor, forcing the man into the Gondola with a curse just as the doors shut. Cloud hopped up and ran out of the Round Square before the Commander could somehow get out.

"**Strife! I'm going to ****_kill_**** you!"** trailed after him, and Cloud could hear him violently banging on the walls of the Gondola. Refusing to turn around, Cloud kept running until he couldn't hear the yelling anymore. Even then he didn't stop, not until he had escaped the Gold Saucer. He rocketed past the lady at the entrance and jumped into the ropeway just as the doors were closing. It was only then that the blonde let out the breath he didn't even know he was holding and allowed himself to smirk.

He was on his way to Corel.

* * *

**And that's a wrap! I'd love to hear your feedback on this chapter. Did I get the characters right? Is there anything you'd like to see? Anything you're excited about? Something you liked or didn't like in this chapter?**

One thing. I am not good at writing "happy" Zack. Nope, not him or Kunsel. I hope my writing will improve as I continue to write them, but for now bear with me.

**The fun is just beginning! :D!**

**...:)**


	10. Road Blocks

**No, I am not dead. But hey, it hasn't officially been a month yet! Well, I'm one day short but it's something!  
I'll try to get more chances to write but for this chapter is just wasn't happening. I wanted to write so badly, but school and other things had other plans.**

**I also realize I've been spamming Genesis in this fanfic. He originally wasn't supposed to have a big part at all, but you know Genesis :3 For everyone who wants to see the other characters (ex Zack), they're coming ;)**

**Anyways, I'm pretty happy with how this one turned out-it's pretty dramatic-and I hope you'll enjoy as well :)**

**To hentai18ancilla:**  
**No, sorry, no yaoi. I really don't like romance, so this story will contain nothing except for whatever is canon, which is pretty much just Zack/Aerith. Hopefully it doesn't take away from the enjoynment of this story!**

**To "Hmm" (guest):**  
**I guess what I want to say to your review is that I really don't think my explanations are "garbage."Also, I think people would rather have a different story than one that is similar to "The Fifth Act," (which is amazing) but with all due respect I am not a try hard for that story. I'm not trying to diffrentiate, it's just that for example, the vials, suit my story better. Glad you're reading it, though, and I hope my writing starts to get better!**

**Ah...I think you guys might hate me with this chapter. But fear not! It is not the end of anything.**

* * *

The ropeway landed smoothly near the bustling town of Corel, the whirr of the machines very audible in the welcoming silence away from the Gold Saucer's repetitive music. The big metal doors slid open smoothly, not having gone old from age yet. Inside, women, men and children alike exited, many with smiles adorning their faces and countless presents and souvenirs clenched in their hands.

Amongst the early morning crowd, a spiky-headed man wove his way through, anxious to get away from the close confines of so many people. Once out, he breathed in the crisp, fresh, unpolluted air of a town that was still young, content to be away from the smells of sweat and candy.

Cloud made his way off to the side, the smirk no longer on his face. He could hear the pounding of his heart loud in his ears, still worked up from the chase. Truth be told, he wasn't sure what he would say to Barret once he found him. After all, they hadn't met each other yet in this timeline, and Barret didn't really have a need to leave the village. Cloud sighed and absently ran a hand through his hair, the spikes temporarily flattening before popping back up again. Whatever he was going to say, he needed to figure it out quickly; Genesis could be off the Gondola any minute, and the blonde didn't want to risk running into him.

The blonde began slowly walking towards the town, hoping that the words would naturally come to him when the time came to talk to Barret; however, Cloud had no doubt that the AVALANCHE leader would go with him. Call him foolish, but his feelings never failed him in the past.

With this thought in mind he quickened his pace, stopping along a shop or two to stare at items he couldn't afford—really, all he was doing was stalling for time, but he wouldn't admit that to himself.

As Cloud neared the center of the town, he started getting anxious. The blonde had never known Barret before AVALANCHE, therefore he was afraid that his usual tactics to deal with the man would backfire and possibly make the situation worse. Cloud darted his head back and forth, straining his neck to see past the villagers who were sending him odd and frightened looks. He just needed a chance to explain things, and then Barret was sure to go with him and they could get to Nibelheim soon.

After a couple minutes of searching, Cloud's patience quickly wore thin, pushed by the threat of Genesis and lack of time over his head. He decided to ask around, but was wary because he wanted to find Barret and talk to him discreetly, not alert everyone that he wanted to speak to him. The blonde forced the annoyed expression off of his face and tried to will his eyes to stop glowing; not going to happen, but he could try. He shook his head and scanned the faces around him, trying to decide who would be the least likely to probe him with questions or turn away from him. The blonde's icy blue gaze fell onto a fairly old man who was probably around his late sixties and had a head of greying hair. The man was working at a hunk of metal; for what, it was too early to tell. For a sixty-year-old man, he looked pretty fit, the muscles on his arms bulging with the effort of lifting the heavy dark metal. Cloud scrutinized him a little longer, his eyes narrowing at he studied the man's movements. He didn't seem all that bad, so he stepped up to him.

The man didn't look up immediately, so Cloud cleared his throat to get his attention. The blonde's eye twitched when the guy still didn't acknowledge him.

"Excuse me," Cloud started, hoping to grab his attention. Still nothing. He walked closer and leaned towards the man's face.

"Hey, I need to ask you something."

No answer.

Now irritated, Cloud slammed his hand against the nearest wall and, after _still _receiving no reaction, poked the man's shoulder (rather roughly, mind you). Cloud breathed out when the guy turned to him, a surprised expression on his face.

"I just need to ask something. Do you—"

The blonde was cut off when the guy calmly raised a single hand in a 'hold on' position. Surprised, Cloud fell silent and allowed the man to rummage through the pocket of his baggy beige pants. He protruded a small baby blue notebook and a pen, quickly flipping to a page and scribbling something down. Cloud tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for him to finish, both impatient and curious as to what he was writing.

He didn't have to wait long, for the old man thrust the notebook into Cloud's hands. The blonde's inquisitive eyes roamed the page before his eyebrows loosened in understanding.

In scratchy handwriting were the words: _rite it down. I cant hear._

Cloud looked up at the man, suddenly guilty for his rude behaviour moments ago; how was he supposed to know that he was deaf? The blonde looked back down at the paper and scribbled something down under where the man had written.

_Sorry. Do you know where Barret Wallace is?_

His writing wasn't the best, but it was legible. He handed the pad back to the man who took his sweet time reading the words—much to Cloud's displeasure—before boredly scribbling a reply.

_there is no need to say sry boy. u wanna talk to wallace?_

He offered the notebook to Cloud, but the blonde waved it away and nodded. The man gave him a speculative glance but shrugged and scribbled something else down before handing it back to Cloud.

_alright then, I wont ask any questions cause its not my problem. wallace is back at the big mine right now so ull see him there._

Cloud gently took the notebook from his hands and quickly scanned over the words. At least the guy was straight forward, he mused. That was too easy, but he shrugged it off. The blonde couldn't afford to waste time. He jotted down a thank you and gave the man his notebook back, raising his hand in a two fingered wave before running off.

The blonde ran for quite a while, weaving his way through the townspeople and feeling his hair dance in the wind, before he realized that he didn't exactly know where the main mine _was. _Cloud halted to a stop and looked around sheepishly. It was just like him to rush into something. This was why he was so hopeless, Cloud scolded himself, grimacing.

Fortunately, he spotted a few townspeople carrying large shovels and other equipment. They were quite obviously headed for the mine, as the village was the other way, so Cloud decided to follow them discreetly. He didn't want to attract too much attention to himself, as he still had glowing eyes, was carrying a sword, built like a SOLDIER and was wearing a First uniform.

Wonderful, right?

He grimaced as he followed them from a safe distance. His appearance would do wonders for convincing Barret, he thought sarcastically. The warrior's footsteps crunched lightly on the dry dirt which got drier towards the mine, his enhanced hearing picking up enthusiastic conversation from the workers. They discussed the future of Corel as a famous mining industry, excited for what lay ahead of them. He heard snippets on how they had hit a jackpot, and how nothing could stop them. Cloud frowned at their eagerness. Their smiles, their happiness…it was what he was working to sustain.

But were all his efforts in vain?

No, he told himself. No, they weren't. He was going to recruit Barret, then maybe Red XIII after they killed JENOVA, and it wouldn't hurt to grab Yuffie and maybe even Vincent later on. He would have his team back.

The sounds of shouting and metal against rock brought his attention back to reality. He peered over at the mine, his eyes widening in slight awe.

The mine was an open-pit mine, and boy was it huge. Lining the sides were layers and layers of reddish-brown rock, carved out in a pattern like stairs, each ledge lower than the first. It wasn't a perfect circle, but it was close enough. The red rock was being dug at from all sides by all kinds of people. Riddling the bottom was lots of equipment, both big and small. People were talking, laughing, working hard, yelling, and amongst the centre of it all was a big, dark man who had _two_ realhands.

Cloud stopped for a moment, rethinking his plan. Barret was directly in the centre, and to get to him he would have to go through everyone else. Not a good idea. He would draw too much attention to himself. The blonde couldn't help but stare at Barret as he thought. The fact that he was about to reunite with and gain his teammate—no, his _friend—_back made him feel relieved and happy, and all the more annoyed when he realized he couldn't get to him. Not now. Gnawing on his lip, Cloud thought back to Genesis. He couldn't wait another day; the man was sure to hunt him down.

A yell brought him out of his stupor, and he looked up in surprise. A dark, rough looking man who was probably in his thirties was yelling at him, a furious expression on his face.

"You there! What do you want, Shin-Ra scum!? Git out of 'ere!"

His stomach sinking in dread, Cloud threw a look at Barret before looking back up to face the enraged man. "I'm not—"

"Bullshit!" The man took a step towards the blonde, rolling up the sleeves of his faded green shirt in an obvious show of violence. Cloud stepped back, not wanting to appear hostile.

"Listen, I—"

The guy spat on the ground. "There 'aint nothing to listen to!"

Cloud frowned and held up his hands in what he hoped was a gesture of peace. "I'm not here to—"

He was cut off—again—when another civilian roughly grabbed the man's shoulder. "Jacket, don't cause any trouble."

The man apparently named Jacket threw an annoyed glance at his tall, brown-haired co-worker. "Don't interfere!"

The other man then leaned forward into his ear and whispered something, but Cloud's enhanced hearing caught it nonetheless. "_You don't want to set a bad reputation for Corel, do you?"_  
_  
_Cloud opened his mouth to counter, but closed it again when he realized that he wasn't supposed to have heard that. He couldn't help but feel slightly disgusted on how they thought that he was with Shin-Ra. He supposed it couldn't be helped, though, with the way he looked now.

Jacket's face scrunched up in distaste. "_Anything with Shin-Ra on it 'aint good."_

"If you hurt him, they might send somebody else. It's best to just let him do what he came here to do. We don't want any trouble."

Jacket chewed this over for a bit before scowling. "Fine_. _Aye, you!" Cloud looked over at him expectantly. "Yer free to go." With that, Jacket turned on his heel and stormed off. The blonde and the other man watched him leave before the guy remaining turned to him, an apologetic and cautious expression on his face.

"Sorry about that…the name's Drayton. How can I help you, sir?"

Cloud would have objected to being called sir, but he didn't want to disclose his real name, so he let it go. He tried to loosen his stance so that he didn't appear intimidating, but the First Tsurugi didn't help at all with that goal.

"I'm not with Shin-Ra. I just want to talk to Barret."

"And I'm actually a woman."

Cloud shot him an odd look. "What?"

The man looked bemusedly at Cloud. "I thought we were both listing things that weren't true?"

The blonde sighed and hung his head, shaking it at the ground as if it was the fault of the dry dirt that lay harmlessly by his feet. He looked sincerely at Drayton.

"Look, I'm seriously not with Shin-Ra."

Drayton looked at Cloud doubtfully, his shaggy brown hair dancing around his face with the wind. Cloud absently bit his lip. This was going to be difficult.

"You're wearing the uniform, you're carrying the sword, your eyes are glowing, and you're telling me that you're not from Shin-Ra?"

Cloud nodded. "Right."

Drayton just laughed, albeit nervously. "That's the worst lie I ever heard. Why do you want to talk to Mr. Wallace?"

Cloud frowned. "It's not a lie, and I have some personal business with him."

"Name?"

"Can't give it."

The civilian frowned. "Why not?"

"Can't say." There was no point in telling him that he didn't want to risk being found or known; that would raise too many suspicions.  
_  
_Drayton looked over at Barret, his frown deepening. "He's busy."

"I have no time," Cloud said, now irritated. "I need to talk to him _now."_

Something in his voice must have been threatening, because the man jumped a little and mumbled an affirmative before calling for someone to go grab Barret. Drayton stayed where he was, keeping a wary eye on Cloud. The blonde in question stood as still as possible, still trying to appear as harmless as he could manage.

A scrawny young boy ran up to them, stopping just behind Drayton. He looked Cloud over with a suspicious yet cautious eye before turning to the other man.

"Uh, Barret won't come up. He said he doesn't trust those…um…_guys_ from Shin-Ra, and he said to leave…" The boy looked nervously from the blonde to Drayton, clearly wanting to escape.

Cloud stared in disbelief. Things couldn't be dwindling so fast! Anyways, he would have thought that the towns wouldn't be so scared of Shin-Ra before the war. Things weren't adding up! Then again, he mused, his mind _was _fuzzy on the events back then, but it couldn't have been _this_ bad. Cloud forced himself to keep his expression cold and indifferent, hoping he could at least score a one-on-one with Barret.

Well, the tough guy attitude never failed him before, right? He took a step forward, making sure to dig his heel into the dirt. All attention immediately turned to him.

"Now listen up," he growled, low enough to be intimidating but not enough to scare them off or appear too violent. He leaned forward a bit, emphasizing the effect. "I want to talk to Barret, _alone," _he stretched the word out in case they didn't get the hint, "and I will _not _take no for an answer."

Bingo. Everyone started reacting immediately. Drayton was barking orders at a couple of men who took no time in running off down towards where Barret was. The man himself smiled nervously at Cloud—his eye lingering a little too long on the blonde's sword—and motioned him to one of the bigger beige tents which lined the sides of the open-pit mine. Cloud shrugged, content to get his way, and began walking rather happily towards said tent, a contrast to his previous actions.

In truth, his nerves were starting to boil up slightly at the thought of being able to talk to Barret—his teammate, his partner, his _friend—_again. It was only a matter of time before the others joined.

_Just you wait, _he thought, _I'm coming for you, guys._

* * *

The click of polished black dress shoes echoed in the cold, grey hallway, heading towards the dark unknowns of the science labs. The man's greasy black hair was slicked into a loose ponytail, his crisp white lab coat flowing around his legs. His hands clutched an old clipboard with files on it, those of which the man was frowning down upon.

_Ah well, _he thought as he tore the page he was reading from his clipboard, carelessly ripping it up into little pieces and tossing it into the nearest trashcan as if it were nothing more than his shopping list.

Yes, Hojo had never really cared for Kolter, even while doing the experiments on him. The boy was worth nothing in the hands of science. He was just an average cadet; the enhancements and super-power-like traits were doing nothing for him. The only reason Hojo even accepted the offer was because he was looking to experiment on live specimens, and a willing one was all the better (although he _did _enjoy it when they screamed). Hojo smiled evilly as he neared the entrance to his personal lab. The boy's death didn't come as a surprise to him, and it was assumed that he had connections in the Gold Saucer to explain the 'enhancements' he had. That was well, Hojo thought. Nobody suspected him of being involved in the case, and he was going to keep it that way.

He arrived in front of the steel door and slipped in his card, waiting for the light to turn green before pulling the door open. It closed with a _clang _behind him, encasing him in darkness. He flipped on the light switch when he was sure no one was coming after him and the vast room flooded with light. Mako tanks and metal tables, beakers and potions, papers and documents littered the area and he breathed in the smell of chemicals and coffee.

This was his home.

Hojo absently pushed his glasses further up his nose with one long, slender finger as he walked briskly into the room and to his desk, dumping the clipboard carelessly on it. He lowered himself into his favourite, expensive purple chair and leaned forward, gripping the clipboard in his hands and flipping through the documents.

In his possession were many files based on Kolter to aid in his experiments. Wearing a loose frown, he boredly ripped them up, feeling no loss whatsoever, merely an inconvenience that wasn't all that inconvenient. Once that was done and over with, he looked back down.

Ah. The science maintenance papers.

Hojo scowled at the documents. It was just like his department to get nothing right. He flipped through the papers that reported the accident, looking for the names of the people he was allowed to yell at. The fools had blown up an entire test-tube lab over a simple miscalculation. Oh, he would get back at them. What was the phrase kids used these days? Ah yes, it will _bite them in the ass. _Quite literally, possibly even in the form of a giant, mutated cactuar.

"Amateurs," he muttered as he stored the papers in his desk drawer, noting to look at them later. The science department seemed to be in havoc these days. It was no wonder his precious experiments were escaping left and right. He idly made a note to 'get rid' of certain people and replace them with more efficient workers.

The last couple files on his clipboard were all of the Great General of Shin-Ra. Hojo glanced down at them with a slight smirk. Oh, if only the General knew…would he stop looking down upon him like that? Maybe then the silver-haired man would allow for more…'quality time' with his father. He looked at the papers with a scrutinizing eye, thoroughly analysing them. Sephiroth's heath seemed to be rather stable, Hojo noted in slight disappointment. Well that was a given, Hojo was simply a genius and Sephiroth was his best creation, but he was simply waiting for something to go wrong so he could have an excuse to check in on the effects of JENOVA on Sephiroth and possibly perform more experiments on him.

That urge grew stronger with every passing minute as the buzz in the back of Hojo's head grew louder.

He chuckled under his breath as the buzz grew louder right then, before that chuckle grew to a cackle and soon Hojo was gripping his stomach and laughing manically.

Suddenly the brilliant scientist kicked his chair back and gripped his head roughly, staring frustrated at the steel table in front of him.

_Maintain control, Hojo._

The buzz in his head had been getting extremely annoying lately. He knew what injecting JENOVA cells into his body would do, but this was simply cantankerous. His brows furrowed in thought, his face taking on a serious expression. When did the effects start to become distinct?

He vaguely recalled a discomfort in the back of his head after leaving the medical ward a few days ago. That was after he obtained the brat's blood sample. However, he could not come up with a theory as to why the cells would start to behave this way. Hojo idly spun around in his chair, his hands never leaving his head. He glared at nothing in particular, rather curiously disturbed by the sudden shift in the JENOVA cells and his inability to find an answer.

He remembered that blonde child, but it couldn't have anything to do with him. That was preposterous. However, when that blonde cadet touched him in the medical ward, he'd felt a strange stir in his head, and ever since then the buzz had been getting louder. But it couldn't be…

No, there was no doubt that the cadet had something to do with this. Now very disturbed, Hojo shot out of his chair. This theory was rather interesting, for if a cadet could cause that sort of reaction then that meant that he may contain JENOVA's cells or…

Hojo's head was a swirl of theories and possibilities as he paced around the room. A slow smile spread across his face. Oh boy, he wanted that child. It was impossible, yet still plausible, and he would find out. The serious expression clouding his face again, he paced around some more before making his way to a computer.

If this child came into close proximity with Sephiroth, who contained a stronger form of the JENOVA cells, would the same result occur?

Surely it would allow his _plan_ to occur a little…sooner.

The problem was finding the cadet, for he never got his name. Hojo frowned as he searched through the databases, for he had access to all of them (another perk of being on the President's good side). There were plenty of cadets who looked similar: blonde hair, blue eyes, frail body…it was all he remembered. He had never cared much to remember cadets. They were useless and simply got in his way. He scowled as he flipped through the databases. He would never be able to pinpoint that child.

A bleep echoed through the cold, stark room and Hojo ignored it until the beeps increased in volume and number. Somebody clearly did not know the situation they were getting themselves into. He scowled inwardly before reaching for the phone and snapping it open, offering a curt greeting in response.

"_Ah, the good professor!"_

"President Shin-Ra, how _nice _of you to call," he said, his voice dripping with fake sweetness. "What may I dedicate this _honour _to?"

He heard the man clear his throat. _"How are you doing?"  
_  
Hojo frowned. "Oh, I wasn't busy at all," he lied, "but I'm sure you called for something other than a simple hello, did you not?"

The president laughed weakly for a bit before continuing. _"Ah, that. Yes, there is a meeting at my office today at 'o' six hundred, if you are able to attend?"_

"What is the topic we will be discussing? I would like to know if it is worth my time. I am a very busy man."

_"Of course, Professor. Something important has come up regarding Wutai and I would like your opinion on the discussion." _Here he paused, as if weighing out what to say. _"There are some…negotiations, to be made. We will discuss this further in the meeting."_

The scientist's frown deepened, analysing the President's words for any reason he could decline the offer. Finding none, he gave his affirmative.

_"Ah, good. I hope to see you there, then. Good day."_

Hojo hung up without a parting response before turning back to his computer. However, he was slightly out of focus due to the call. Irritated, he rose up from his chair to grab a coffee, making a note to look into the child and JENOVA's reaction later.

He made his way out, encasing his accursed lab and office in darkness.

* * *

Oh boy, was he pissed at Strife.

No, he was absolutely _livid._

Scratch that, he was ready to kill him, his friends, his family, burn down his home and torture him so slowly and so brutally that he would be embracing the cold hands of death with loving arms.

Genesis was done.

He had been thrown into a Gondola with three fan girls, two broken knees and damaged pride. And why was his hair wet?

Currently he was slumped over on one side of the Gondola, glaring daggers at the three teenage girls huddled as far away from Genesis as possible as they stared unhappily at their now broken cameras. At first they had fawned over him, but the red-head had made sure to fix that problem. Now, nobody spoke a word and the ones that the girls did speak were failed attempts at conversation that quickly died down.

The Commander huffed and blew a strand of copper hair away from his face as he cradled his broken knees. Who knew Strife could pack so much power into one punch? Normally he would be able to feel his knees start to shift into place, but nothing was happening. He winced as a jolt of pain shot up his legs, turning his face away to hide his weakness from the girls. This would spread everywhere, he thought with disdain.

All because of that _abomination._

He absently glanced at the cracks he had made in the Gondola walls from banging on it so hard. There goes his reputation. On top of it all, he failed the mission. He would go back to Shin-Ra as a _failure._ Trudeau was Goddess knows where, Johnston was a mess, and Strife had just about gone up and left. And here he was, broken and damaged at the Gold Saucer and weak in front of a bunch of children. He couldn't even complete a simple mission.

Genesis felt like crying.

A whirr of machinery stirred him out of his stupor and he looked angrily out the window.

Wonderful.

The Gondola ride was over and they were going to land and get out. Unfortunately, the early morning crowd decided to all go for a ride and there were loads of people waiting in front. Groaning and cursing everything and everyone he could think of, the Commander shut his eyes and tried to calm himself, ignoring the blaring music still playing.

It was no use. He was ruined. _Ruined._

Angry tears sprung up in his eyes and he huffed again, trying to get rid of them. He was not weak. He would not show weakness. _He was not weak._

The girls sighed, relieved, and waited for the doors to open. Genesis wished they stayed closed.

No such luck. They opened ever so slowly, mocking him, and the crowds of people fidgeted impatiently. Once fully opened, the three girls ran out and the person in charge made to wave people forward until she caught sight of the Commander.

Genesis took in a deep breath. This was not going to be pretty.

"M-Mr. Rhapsodos!?"

And thereit was. All eyes turned to him and the cameras whipped out, snapping shots before he could say anything about it. He tried to get up, but his damned knees just _had _to limit his movements. He tried again and ended up stumbling and almost falling flat on his face. Strife sure did a thorough job, he thought bitterly.

The ticket woman just kept staring at him, and the red-head's patience went out the window.

"Why are you just standing there!?" he yelled.

The woman jumped and looked unsure. "Uh, the ride is ov—"

"I can see that!" he growled. "Help me up."

He did not want to say the last part. Really, he didn't, but he couldn't help it. Genesis was pretty much stuck there with two broken knees and unless he got help, he would have had to literally crawl out of there.

The ticket woman bit her lip before hesitantly making her way over to him, almost as if she was scared. Genesis scoffed. Of course she would be. Meanwhile, the videos and pictures were still going and no matter what Genesis wanted to say they would keep going at it, so he just dropped it and tried to suck up the humiliation as best he could. The woman was now in front of him and just _staring _at him, so he yelled at her again.

"Stop staring at me and help!"

Pausing for a moment, she grabbed his waist very awkwardly and pulled him up, causing Genesis to wince as pain shot up his legs and moved through his chest. The woman almost dropped him had he not grabbed the wall at the last second.

He couldn't even use crutches because both of his feet were useless, and he had left his restore materia back in the Haunted Hotel in his rush to chase after Strife. But somebody had to have one, right?

"Does anybody have a potion or a restore materia?" he called out to the crowd, who didn't respond, much to his chagrin.

He turned to the lady helping him, or trying to. "Potion? Materia? _Anything?" _His voice went a little high at the end but he ignored it. Genesis was already humiliated; a bit more wouldn't make a difference. The ticket woman fumbled in her pocket before protruding a small potion. It wasn't much, but Genesis accepted the item and gulped it down before waiting for his knees to heal. He could feel them shifting ever so slightly before they stopped healing. He still couldn't walk on them.

"Damn it_…Damn it all!_" he swore under his breath. How was he supposed to get back now? A First class SOLDIER…reduced to this!

The lady helping him finally gained some brains and took him behind the ticket selling area, a place that was more or less private. She had to support his entire weight because he couldn't place any weight onto his legs. The crowd started to follow, but some guards (were they shirtless?) came out of nowhere to stop them from coming any farther. Genesis thanked the Goddess and focused on getting himself to the ticket area.

Once inside, the woman helped him sit on a chair near the back of the room. She then stared awkwardly at him for a few moments before clearing her throat.

"Uh…Mr. Rhapsodos, do you need anything, or…?"

He sighed and slumped in the chair, lifting a hand to wave her off. "No, no, just…some privacy would be nice."

The girl nodded her head vigorously and left the booth to deal with the outside crowd. The Commander just sat there for a bit staring at the walls and the room he was in. It was kind of crowded, with water bottles and coats strewn left and right, but otherwise empty. It was also dark, which Genesis appreciated for the moment. He sat for a bit longer in contemplative silence before whipping out his phone and calling the first person he could think of.

_"Genesis?"_

Said First sighed in defeat. "Angeal."

The other SOLDIER probably sensed that something was off, because he immediately asked, _"What's wrong? I've been trying to get through to you for a while now."_

Had he now? Genesis hadn't noticed. "Everything."

_"Everything? Where are you? What happened?" _Angeal asked worriedly, like the mother chocobo he was.

The red-head pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "At the Gold Saucer, in the Round Square. My knees are broken, and—"

_"What!?"_

"My knees are broken. Strife left. Johnston is hiding something. Trudeau is Goddess knows where. I failed the mission. I can't move, Angeal." He took a deep breath and breathed out, trying to calm himself. "I can't move. I don't know what to do."

The dark-haired SOLDIER paused for a long time before replying. _"What, how…?"_ His voice suddenly took a stern tone. _"Tell me everything, Genesis. From the beginning."  
_  
The red-head frowned. He didn't want to relive this nightmare. "_My friend, the fates are cruel. There are—"  
_  
_"I'm coming over there right now."_

"No!"

_"Why not?"_

Genesis tilted his head back and stared woefully at the ceiling. "I've been humiliated enough today. I do not need someone coming to my rescue."

_"Then what do you suppose you're going to do?"_

"I believe that is why I called."

"Why aren't your knees healing?"

"I don't know!" he shot, annoyed.

He could hear Angeal sighing on the other end. _"Calm down, Genesis. I'll be over there soon."_

"Did you not hear a word I just said?"

_"If you really don't want me to go, I'll send Sephi—"_

"I would rather die, thank you very much."

The other SOLDIER hummed thoughtfully on the line before continuing. _"Just get a wheelchair or something, get your things and come back here."_

"And tarnish my pride as a First class SOLDIER!? No thank you."

_"Then crawl."_

"I prefer the first option."

_"Genesis, there's nothing else you can do. You'll have to sacrifice your pride for a bit, I'm afraid. Is the mission complete?"_

Here the red-head furrowed his eyebrows in anger. "No! I believe that is the biggest problem here!"

For a long time there was no response. Then, _"It's a bunch of monsters at the Gold Saucer, Genesis. What happened?"_

"Why don't you come over here and try!?"

_"You told me not to."_

"Exactly. Don't."

On the other end, Angeal gripped his forehead with his thumb and middle finger, then proceeded to massage his temples. _"Just…we'll sort everything out when you arrive. Get a wheelchair, grab your things and get here quickly."_

"But—"

_"I'll see you later, Genesis. Good luck."_

Click. For a while the Commander simply sat there, staring at the PHS until a little robotic message told him to hang up. He shut the device and pocketed it before staring blankly into the darkness.

Goddess help him.

He stiffened when he heard footsteps coming closer and smoothed his expression over to a more controlled, fierce one. The lady entered once more, having dealt with the crowd for now.

"Are you alright, sir?"

Genesis didn't even blink. "Can you get me a wheelchair?" He almost choked on the sentence.

The woman looked surprised. "O-o-of course, sir. Right away," she stuttered out. The Commander stayed stiff until she left the room and didn't move a muscle until she came back with the accursed thing.

He eyed the wheelchair warily, not wanting to do anything with it.

The. Crimson. Commander. Reduced. To. _This._

No.

No, no, nope, he was _not _going to sit in it.

For Planet's sake, _he was a __**man. **_He could handle a little pain.

Grunting through the pain, Genesis lifted himself out of the chair and walked right past the woman and the wheelchair. Well, not really walked, more like stumbled and the pain was like he fell into a pit of scorching hot Mako that burned away at every single fibre of his being, but all it took was a little getting used to. Ignoring the ticket lady's protests, he continued on forwards, clenching his teeth so hard he feared they would shatter under the immense pressure.

Two broken knees were nothing. He was a First class SOLDIER!

"You're in pain, sir! Come ba—"

He immediately blocked her out and continued his trek onwards, stumbling out the door. The crowds of people immediately turned to stare at him but he blatantly ignored them and stumbled onwards, moving to the side so he wouldn't have to fight through the crowd. The red-head's face was crunched into an expression of determination and the rage emitting off of him was enough that the people stayed back and didn't bother him, but that still didn't stop them from staring. He tripped and almost fell but with a determined grunt, pulled himself back up.

Eventually, he made it to the tunnel that led to the station. He stopped in front of it, panting heavily with pain.

"Oh, Planet," he muttered with a strained, bitter laugh. "How am I supposed to get though this?"

Bracing himself, Genesis hurled himself into the passageway head first, trying to eliminate as much pressure from his legs as he could. He didn't, however, take into account the repercussions of his actions when he landed.

As the entrance to the station neared rapidly, Genesis' common sense finally caught up to his ego.

Oh Goddess, was this going to hurt.

**THUD**. A scorching, gigantic, Mako-infested spike of pain shot up his legs and through his entire body, forcing out a loud cry of pain from the Commander. He had landed on his side, shoulder first, allowing his feet to let gravity slam them onto the ground. His sword, having been left on through the night, was now digging into his back with the awkward angle he fell in.

The few people lingering about the station immediately rushed to his side, hands grabbing at his head and arms and feet and oh Planet, they needed to get off of him. He could fend for himself.

With a growl, Genesis waved them away with one hand and pushed himself up to a sitting position, grunting in severe pain with the movement of his feet. His eyesight was riddled with black dots and he could barely see.

Nothing he hadn't experienced before.

The redhead continued to ignore the voices of the people around him and crawled—yes, _crawled_—to the wall closest to him, leaning heavily on it to pick himself up. The pain took over and he was washed in red and black, his head about to burst with the physical and mental strain he was putting on his body. He idly noticed that his knees were bleeding and the people around him were yelling at one another, but didn't really care. He couldn't even think clearly.

Genesis could feel himself sliding off the wall and landing into a pathetic heap on the floor.

That's when he blacked out.

* * *

"Aye, wait in there a minute, arright?"

Cloud complied and sat fidgeting in the rickety chair that Drayton pointed out, watching the man leave to escort Barret in. He looked around the tent, taking in the surroundings. It wasn't much, but it was rather cozy, although the ground was littered with dirt and rocks. There was a wooden table surrounded by a bunch of chairs; probably a meeting room. The blonde was told to sit in a chair that was on the other side of the table, farther away from the door.

They sure were taking precautions, weren't they?

He pressed his lips into a line and ran over what he was going to say to Barret in his head.

_Okay, _he mused, _I need to get him to believe me first. Now what has happened so far? That's right, his wife's sickness. But that wouldn't be a pleasant thing to bring up first…Auugh. _Cloud threw his head back and stared at the ceiling. What to say, what to say…

He stiffened at the sound of footsteps closing in on the tent. The blonde could already hear Barret complaining to Drayton about his work being interrupted and Drayton's shaky responses. Uh oh. Not a good start, Cloud noted.

He had no more time to think as the flaps of the tent shuffled open and in walked Barret, in the flesh. Cloud couldn't help brightening up a little at the sight of a familiar face. Oh Planet, he really did miss Barret's rough company. The blonde's mouth tilted slightly in a relieved smirk but he forced it down. _Be professional._

"'Aye there, blondie," Barret bellowed at the sight of the warrior, taking a seat directly across from him. Said blonde faintly noticed Drayton twitch in the back before leaving. The guy must want Barret to set a good reputation for 'Shin-Ra.' Yeah, right.

"Hey," Cloud responded softly, not wanting to appear too stiff. He looked around slightly. "Will this discussion be private?"

Barret looked at him oddly. "Ya see anyone around here?"

Cloud shook his head. "Outside the tent. Is anyone listening? I ask that this be…discreet."

Again with the odd look. "Hold on a minute, will ya? HEY, DRAYTON!" Said man walked right in, as if on cue.

"Yes?"

"Get everyone outta 'ere. This here conversation is private, you understand? Now if I find anyone—"

"T-that won't be necessary! I'll get them out of here at once."

"You better.

Drayton left and Cloud couldn't help but feel relieved at what he saw so far. Barret seemed to be cooperating well enough, and if everything went as planned they would be on their way soon.

Barret turned back to him. "What do you want, and make it fast. I've got some work to do, in case you haven't noticed."

He was getting feisty again. Cloud needed to calm things down a bit. "Yeah, sorry about that," he looked him directly in the eyes for emphasis. "This is important. I need you to come with me—"

"What!? 'Ain't no way I'm leaving!"

_Too soon_, Cloud scolded himself. "No, that's not what I—"

"I knew you Shin-Ra scum were good for nothing. Ya'll just want to take everything away, don't cha'!?"

"No! No, just listen to me, I—"

"There 'ain't nothing to listen to. I'm leaving!" He got up, throwing the chair back in the process, and starting storming to the opening.

"Barret, come ba—"

"THAT'S MR. WALLACE TA' YOU!"

"…Mr. Wallace, if you'd just—"

"Just what? If that's all you want to—"

"_I'm from the future."_

Out it went. Cloud froze, realizing what he just said. Aw, to hell with it. He was sick of being interrupted, anyways. Better now than never, right?

Barret froze as well, staring at Cloud with a look that the blonde couldn't place. "The what now?"

Great. Nothing was going as planned. "Just…sit down for a minute." He was blowing this. However, Barret thankfully complied and slowly sat down. Cloud took a deep breath before starting again.

"Now _listen. _That was a bad start there, so let's just start again. Alright? The name's Cloud."

"Barret Wallace, although I'm sure you already knew that," he said in a rough, but much calmer, voice. The two shook hands across the table before sitting upright again.

"First of all," Cloud paused. He still didn't really know what he was going to say.

"Yeah?"

The blonde took another breath. "I'm not from Shin-Ra. Let's just make that clear. I. Am. _Not. _From. Shin-Ra." He paused to look at Barret, judging his reaction. The man said nothing, so he continued. "Yeah. So, I'm on a mission. Some stuff went on, and I need to fix that stuff, and—"

"You're gonna' have to be more specific," interrupted Barret matter-of-factly.

Cloud pressed his lips together. "Alright, but I can't get too specific. That will come later." Another breath. The blonde leaned forward, adopting a more serious expression. "The world ends, Barret. I saw it with my own eyes. A group of people and I— including you—managed to save the Planet from total oblivion. However, the Planet still took a lot of damage. I've fallen back in time, and I—no, _we—_can change that. We can save the world."

Barret did a double take. "Wait just a minute. Yer' saying I was part of this group of yours?"  
At least he wasn't yelling, Cloud mused. It was a good sign that he was asking questions. "Yes, you were. In fact, a couple of years from now you will have formed a group called AVALANCHE, which is a terrorist group against Shin-Ra. I joined your group, that's how we knew each other and it's the reason why I hunted you down now."

"Uh huh. Me, a terrorist group? This is soundin' pretty farfetched. I would never go against Shin-Ra," Barret proclaimed, skeptical.

"That's because a lot of stuff happened to you that caused you to hate Shin-Ra."

This got the other man interested. "Oh yeah? Like what?"

Cloud hesitated. Should he tell Barret? Was the man even ready to hear it yet? Apparently he hesitated too long, because Barret started getting impatient and was tapping his fingers loudly on the table.

"You might not want to—"

"'Course I want to! Now out with it."

"…Fine." He bit his lip. The blonde never was good with letting things out gently. "Well…your wife died of a sickness, your hometown burned, your best friend was thrown off a cliff and you lost your hand only to replace it with a gun arm."

_Smooth, Cloud._

The warrior's eyes widened slightly in fear of Barret's reaction, but much to his relief—and suspicion—the man was looking at Cloud with indifference.

"Really? I suppose that _would_ cause me ta' hate Shin-Ra. But why are you here, anyways?"

This was it. "I need you to come with me, just like old times. Shin-Ra's doing some horrible things, Bar—ah, _Mr. Wallace. _I need to eliminate a…well, one of the most important factors that needs to be destroyed, but I don't trust myself to be with…it…alone. We destroy it, our job is half over. I know this may sound pretty general, but I can't reveal everything right now…do you understand?"

"And where do ya' suppose we go?"

"Nibelheim."

Barret hummed a bit, mulling it over. Cloud leaned forward, anticipating his reaction.

The other man nodded to himself before turning back to Cloud. "Alright."

This one word caused the blonde to feel incredibly relieved and a warmth started to spread somewhere inside him. He didn't realize until this moment how much he was relying on Barret's acceptance to go with him to Nibelheim. If he hadn't gone with him, Cloud wouldn't know what he would have done. His deep blue eyes gave room for joy and brightness filled them. He was so thankful, he could almost kiss the man. _Almost._

"You'll go with me?" Cloud asked again, his eyes shining and face tilting upward into a small smile.

Barret started laughing very loudly, and Cloud's smile slowly started to drop. "Huh?" asked the blonde.

The burly man stopped to wipe a tear from his eye. "Are ya' kidding me? This is garbage!"

Gone was the warmth and to replace it was dread. "What? But I—"

"Hah, but nothing! You think you can jus' waltz in here and tell me my precious Myrna dies? That my best friend dies an' my hometown burns? That I _lose my own hand? _Ya' think I'm supposed to believe that? She ain't sick and Shin-Ra's done us no wrong, kid."

Cloud's face was set into a deep, almost desperate frown. "Barret, I—"

"Mr. **WALLACE!**"

"Right…Mr. Wallace, just please give me a chance! I'm not bluffing! You think—"

"You're not thi—"

"YOU THINK I _want _to do this?" Cloud yelled, frustrated with the interruptions and the negative to his offer. "You think I came all the way here, arguing with you, just because I'm _joking_?This is a battle between life and death! The Planet's going to _die, _and you're just going to sit here and tell me that I'm a _joke!? _You don't know what I've been through, and I refuse to let it happen AGAIN!"

"And I'm supposed to believe your spiky ass WHY?"

"Shin-Ra hasn't wronged you yet, but I promise you they will. I promise you that they will hurt you. And I want to stop—"

"Is that a threat!?"

"AND I WANT to stop it, but I'll need your trust. I don't want to see you hurt. I've seen enough dead bodies; I have enough blood on my hands! Don't you understand?" He said the last part almost pleadingly, but Barret was having none of it.

"Now listen here, blondie," Barret growled. "I ain't gonna' sit here and listen to you throw my hopes and dreams away with a couple a' measly words. I worked hard to build this 'ere mining industry, my family and everything else, and I'm not going to stand for some bratty kid to trash it with some words!"

"You need to _understa—"_

"Give me _one _good reason why I should leave everything I worked for to travel to some nowhere town with some unknown kid fer' an unknown cause against the biggest powerhouse out there!"

Silence. For once, Cloud had nothing to say to that. He hated to admit it, but Barret had a point.

Said man spat on the floor and got up again. "Nothin'? Then that's that. Good riddance."_  
_  
He started to walk out, and for a second Cloud couldn't move. At the last moment, he called out to Barret.

"Don't build the reactor. Under all circumstances, for the Planet's sake, for your sake, I _beg _you, _don't. Build. The. Reactor."_

The tent flap closed with a snap, and Cloud didn't even know if the man had heard his parting words.

* * *

**Ooooohhhhhh! Uh oh, some big things just went on. See why I said you guys might hate me? Yeah, that :')  
I just love torturing Cloud, but it won't last for long (or maybe it will :3) but stay with me :')  
I hope you enjoyed! :D**


	11. Discussions

**Uh.**

**Hey Guys.**

**Remember me? From almost three months ago?**

**Yeah! I'm back! Yay, right? I'm really sorry for the delay, but I had school and exams and summer school and then my laptop broke down and then agh.**

**No excuses! Here's a sufficient chapter, not the longest (7, 726) but pretty good in my eyes. I'll try to get the next chapter up faster, but for now enjoy this one. There's a lot of talking in this chapter, so sorry if you wanted to see more action. There will also be more Cloud, Zack and action in the next chapter, so don't worry!**

**Oh, and a HUGE thanks to all my reviewers and followers and favouriters (?) out there. Even after almost three months I was still getting some support. Thanks a lot, you guys keep me going!**

* * *

"The usual?"

"Yes."

"Coming right up."

The dark-haired Turk tapped his fingers impatiently on the counter in front of his favourite coffee shop in the Shin-Ra cafeteria. He tilted his head back to look at the sign as he waited for his black coffee. Of all the things the Turk loved about this shop, there was one thing he hated. It was the name of it. "The Green Bean," read the sign. He flattened his lips. Way to sound like a vegetable instead of the 'Mako coffee bean' theme they were going for (although, of course, they didn't actually put Mako in their drinks).

Tseng made a noise of displeasure in the back of his throat before leaning back against the counter. He gazed at the other employees in the cafeteria. Some we laughing, some were talking, and some were looking through documents.

It was just like any other day.

He turned back to the worker who was preparing his coffee, watching her pour in a fresh batch. The smoke rose slowly off of the cup, but was cut off when she firmly placed a lid on it.

"Here you go!" She handed him the drink, her short brown hair swaying with the movement.

"Thank you," nodded Tseng. He spun on his heel and began the short walk to his office. Crossing the long hallway to the elevator, Tseng stepped inside and pushed the button to his floor.

With a couple of stops in between, he finally reached his floor and walked out, taking a sip of his coffee as he did so. The Wutain took in the aroma of his drink and sighed.

Shaking his head slightly, Tseng forced himself to focus. In all honesty, he was simply preparing himself for the meeting that he was invited to. The one about the war on Wutai. Being Wutainian, he obviously didn't like it. But being a Turk, he obviously didn't care.

The man narrowed and un-narrowed his eyes very slightly before taking another sip of his coffee. He needed to remain indifferent in the meeting.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind him, rapidly coming closer. By simply listening to them, he already knew who they were.

"Reno, Rude. You're back," he called to them, without turning around. Hearing this, their steps quickened slightly.

"Boss."

"Hey there, boss! Been a while."

Tseng simply looked at them as they came in front of him. Rude looked as crisp and clean as ever, and Reno looked just the same as he had before; with his messy red ponytail, open suit and loose smile. As if killing a cadet was as easy as taking out the trash (which, he supposed, was exactly what they did). He then placed his coffee down onto the table and stood up. "Report."

Rude stepped up slightly. "Mission complete," he said curtly. Reno offered him a small smirk.

Tseng nodded his conformation and began walking again, taking a moment to drink a sip from his had had no doubt that they would complete the assignment. "And the body?"

"Disposed of, boss. Not a thing to worry 'bout."

"Good to hear." It might have sounded heartless, but Turks were trained to be cold. "Anything else worth mentioning?"

At this, there was a small hesitation. However, this was all Tseng needed to know something wasn't right. "No, sir," replied Reno, who suddenly donned a poker face.

Now suspicious, the dark-haired Turk stopped in his tracks and turned to face them completely. "Full report."

"Well..." Reno slyly looked to Rude for help. None came his way. "I already told you boss. We-"

"Out with it, Reno."

"Reno..."

"...The cadet who was with Genesis _kind of maybe sorta_ saw us..."

Tseng raised his eyebrows. "What?"

Rude continued indifferently, but he lowered his voice, aware of the possible audience. "Cadet Sehk Johnston witnessed the execution of Kolter Trudeau. He got away before he could be dealt with."

Slightly surprised, Tseng didn't reply. Got away? They were expertly trained Turks. How can a cadet _get away? _This was absolutely unacceptable. Half jobs were not tolerated. "Then why are you still here?"

Tseng stared down at his two Turks, his face cold and unblinking, hoping to get the point across. Rude remained as stoic as ever and Reno adopted a serious expression.

"Eh, we're so-"

"I don't want to hear it. Get going."

Slouching in shame, Reno tilted his face to Rude and spoke with a sigh. "Hear that, buddy? I guess it's back to the-"

"_Tseng!_"

All heads unanimously turned to the source of the call. A young woman in a Turk suit ran hurriedly up to them, her curly red hair bobbing as she did so. Tseng took note of the deadly serious expression on her face and, now alarmed, fully turned towards her.

"Cissnei, what happened?" he said, not for one second forgetting Reno and Rude's ordeal but turning his attention to more important matters for the moment. He watched as she stopped abruptly in front of him, panting ever so slightly.

"First class Genesis Rhapsodos has been attacked at the Gold Saucer and is now unconscious."

Behind him, Reno and Rude shared an "Oh shit" look before observing the scene in front of them with analysing eyes. Tseng looked back at them, his eyes intense.

"Nothingworth noting, hm?"

He turned back to Cissnei and continued to interrogate her. "Attacked how? And by whom?"

"The details haven't been released yet," Cissnei answered smoothly.

Tseng nodded. "Where did this information come from?"

"The Gold Saucer. Someone there called the main office."

Tseng took a moment to organize his thoughts. One of the top SOLDIERS? Attacked? Unconscious? _Gold Saucer? _This couldn't have been an accident; there was someone strong out there. This was serious.

"Is someone being sent?" he asked the copper-haired Turk.

"Not yet."

Thinking quickly, Tseng whipped around to pin his gaze on his two Turks.

"You didn't notice anyone who could be a threat?" These two had information; they had to.

Reno promptly answered "No, sir," but Rude took a millisecond to reply, a hesitation that Tseng did not catch.

"No."

Tseng continued to stare at them. "I want you two to go straight back and investigate. Do it right this time."

Before they could reply, Cissnei chimed in from behind the Wutain, looking at him seriously. "Don't you think a SOLDIER would be better suited for this job? We could interrogate Genesis when he regains consciousness. This guy could be strong."

Glancing back at Reno and Rude, Tseng continued, "These two have...unfinished business. I'll send them to investigate the area. We can send a SOLDIER after the attacker if Genesis gives us any information. Is he on his way here?"

"Most likely."

Tseng frowned. "Most likely?"

Cissnei frowned too. "I couldn't get much info. I don't know if he's headed here or if they're keeping him there."

"He has to come here."

"Should I talk to the SOLDIER department head?"

"Yes. Report back any information you receive. Make sure they send him here, and obtain any other information you think necessary. As for you..." Here he turned to the other two Turks again. They didn't move a muscle, but looked slightly wary. "Go straight to the Gold Saucer. Now. No stalling."

They left without saying a word, opting to run down the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator. Cissnei left soon after, headed to Lazard's office. That left Tseng standing there, his coffee forgotten in his hands. He began to walk back to his office, his mind lost in thought.

Genesis Rhapsodos was known to be almost up to Sephiroth's level. He had a fiery temper and a big ego, but was no weakling in battle. To be attacked and knocked unconscious? That was just the start. Who knew in what way he was attacked, and to what extent? A new enemy so soon after AVALANCHE was very bad for Shin-Ra, especially one who could be so strong.

The supposed war on Wutai wasn't helping things in the least.

Eyes intense, Tseng unlocked the door to his office and stepped inside, closing it tightly behind him.

* * *

The dark-haired First ran down the hallway, clutching his PHS tightly in his strong grip. He hurried up the stairs in an attempt to reach his silver-haired friend faster, running with thoughts of a fiery First on his mind.

He knew something was wrong when Genesis told him that his knees were broken, but Angeal had figured that he was being his normal dramatic self; it was why he didn't think much about it and simply told him to get back to Shin-Ra. Cadets leaving wasn't a new thing either; their curious minds let them wander before coming back to the men in charge. However, when Sephiroth gave him the call…

His face set in a determined—and slightly wary—expression, Angeal continued his trek to Sephiroth's office. He heard two sets of footsteps approaching and moved to the side accordingly, allowing them to pass. Going up a long set of stairs, he noticed that the two making their way down were Turks long before they actually passed him.

They looked just as Angeal felt, their steps hurried and their faces set in grim anticipation. They had probably heard the news too, the First mused. He avoided eye contact as he ran past. They didn't spare a glance his way either.

As he continued his way up to Sephiroth's office, he ran through the conversation that took place just moments before.

* * *

_Angeal snapped open the ringing phone that was already in his hands after a glance at the caller ID._

_"Sephiroth?" he asked, surprised. The man rarely called._

"Angeal, have you talked to Genesis recently?"

_His tone of voice troubled the honor-bound First. It sounded odd…perhaps a forced calm, or something along those lines. "Yes, I have. Why do you ask?" he answered, his voice deep._

"…_"_

_"…Sephiroth?"_

"Genesis is reported to be unconscious at the Gold Saucer as of now. Would you happen to have any information on this?_"_

_Unconcious!?  
_  
_"W-what?" he exclaimed, completely caught off guard._

"Angeal, what did Genesis tell you?_"_

_He tried to think. "He said…that his knees were broken, and that he couldn't move. I figured he was just being dramatic, like usual."_

"Did he mention anything else?_"_

_"Nothing that I remember, unfortunately."_

"…They say he was attacked,_" Sephiroth continued after a slight pause, his voice grim and low._

_Angeal didn't answer, too shocked about the whole situation. The circumstances of the mission were easy; a group of monsters had gone loose, their job was to deal with them and get back. To have all that happen to him at an amusement park…_

_He couldn't help but think he was missing something, though._

_"What's the plan?"_

_The General spoke smoothly._ "There isn't one yet. The news reached me about two minutes ago. I called you immediately."

_"I'm going straight to your office. Can we discuss this there?"_

"If you wish."

_Before Angeal could say anything, the phone clicked shut. Pursing his lips, he snapped his PHS closed and headed to his friend's current location._

* * *

The tall SOLDIER shook the discussion out of his head as he approached Sephiroth's office. He reached for the doorknob, but thought better of it and knocked first. Even in a hurry, it was still polite. He could hear footsteps on the other end near the door and it swung open in front of him. The muscular figure that is Sephiroth loomed in front of him.

The silver-haired man didn't spare a glance at him before walking back inside, expecting Angeal to follow. He was always one to get straight to business.

The dark-haired First opted to stand instead of sit because he was tense due to the situation. Sephiroth didn't sit either. Instead, the two stood across from each other on either side of Sephiroth's long metal desk.

At first there was silence, the two just mulling over the situation. It was Sephiroth who spoke first, his eyes serious and lowered in thought.

"There may be someone after Genesis, or even Shin-Ra in general. It is hard to tell at this point, but it was clear he was attacked." His eyes shifted to another invisible space. "It may have been someone who was with Genesis. Though they were all cadets, none of whom were strong enough to even lay a hand on him, Genesis _did _reveal some…interesting information." Here his intense eyes met Angeal's. "Other than that, there is little information. Have you remembered anything else worth noting?"

Said SOLDIER looked at the ceiling, as if it would give him the answers to this mystery. None were forthcoming, so he sighed, closing his eyes as he brought his head back down. "I can't remember. I'm getting too old for this."

The dark-haired First tapped his head with a strong finger repeatedly, trying to remember for the life of him.

"Did he mention anything concerning the cadets?" his silver-haired friend interrupted, a little too quickly.

Sephiroth's eerily contained voice as well as his pinned gaze forced the honour-bound SOLDIER to think fast. His gears were turning for all they were worth.

He ran over the conversation he had had with Genesis. Now that Sephiroth mentioned it, there was something there about cadets…

Angeal looked back at his silver-haired friend, his own eyes curious and his voice serious. "He said Cadet Johnston was acting strange...Cadet Trudeau had disappeared, and Cadet Strife had, and I quote, 'just about gone up and left.'"

He frowned before continuing. "Do you think they had something to do with this mess?"

Sephiroth remained slightly indifferent. "Possibly. We cannot rule out any option." He then frowned a bit. "Did you not know? Cadet Trudeau was eliminated due to his misuse of a Mako enhancement drug and his possible participation in wide-scale illegal Mako distribution."

"Possible?"

"That is the business of the Turks."

Angeal raised his eyebrows. "Does Genesis know?"

"...He was not notified."

Angeal shook his head. "That leaves Johnston and Strife..."

"…Johnston is unlikely, but like you said, he was acting strange. Genesis had informed me about that as well."

"And Strife?"

"He mentioned quite a bit, mostly complaints. However, there were things worth noting." Here he paused, and Angeal stared at him impatiently, waiting for him to continue. "…Something you would be quite interested in was mentioned, as well."

"Get to the point, Sephiroth."

"Strife apparently possesses an advanced sword similar to the build of your Buster Sword." Angeal's eyebrows shot up in complete surprise, but Sephiroth continued as if he hadn't noticed. "He was also acting relatively hostile towards Genesis. It was also said that Strife shows signs of a battle-hardened warrior, both in his stance and build."

This new information left the honour-bound SOLDIER speechless. He stared at Sephiroth, who donned a grim expression.

"…Could he have harmed Genesis?" Angeal asked hesitantly.

Sephiroth looked to the side. "I doubt it. Genesis was aware of his position and would not have let his guard down. No matter what, this Strife could not have been strong enough to win in a fight against him."

Angeal didn't reply, still shocked, especially about the information on the sword. He wanted to see Strife for himself, this new 'hardened warrior' Genesis was talking about.

"Where is Genesis going right now?"

"It is best if he comes here."

"Who is in charge of the orders?" He was just barking questions at him now. Angeal was feeling restless and quite useless too.

Sephiroth moved around the desk slowly to stand beside Angeal. His gaze wandered the room aimlessly. "That, I do not know. Like I said, I received the call only a short time ago."

Angeal's gaze followed Sephiroth. "Let's find Director Lazard. He should be able to send someone to get him," he said in a gruff voice.

"No," Sephiroth answered. "That is not our call. However, they will probably send him here anyways. Remember, he's almost as powerful as me..._almost_." A small smirk, then it was gone. "He cannot be kept there. What I don't know is _when_ he will arrive here."

"We can't just wait! That's _Genesis_ who's unconscious!" Angeal complained.

Sephiroth looked at him seriously. "Whoever is in command will take good care of him."

The dark-haired SOLDIER shook his head. "I am not going to wait. You can stand here, but Genesis ne-"

"Angeal, where do you suppose you will go?"

"To Director Lazard," he said firmly.

"And what do you think he will tell you?"

Angeal thought for a bit, then deflated. "To wait..."

"He can take care of himself," Sephiroth said matter-of-factly.

"You sound like you don't care."

"I am simply being logical."

The honour-bound First gave up and leaned against the metal table. "I still don't understand how he could have gotten so hurt..."

Sephiroth walked to the big window in his office and looked out absently. "That is something we will have to ask him when he gets here."

Crossing his arms, Angeal spoke in a gruff voice. "Alright..."

"They will inform us when he arrives."

"I know that."

They waited for a while in tense silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Angeal's thoughts kept traveling back to his fiery friend. Was he in good hands? How bad were his injuries? Was he on his way here? Who could have attacked him?

So many questions.

His mind kept going in circles, his jaw clenched. That was his friend out there.

A baritone voice suddenly cut through the silence. Angeal's head turned to the owner of the voice, who was still looking out the window.

"...He told me to check the cadets' files. Johnston is from Midgar and looked more or less normal...however, he is less likely to have participated in the crime than Strife. He excelled in his sword classes, and is known to be tough, but Strife, on the other hand, is a different case." He tore his gaze away from the window to look at Angeal. "His hometown is suspicious, too...Nibelheim." He looked out the window again. "Maybe I should check it out..."

"Nibelheim? Never heard of it."

"Exactly. It is a 'nowhere town,' or so the description said."

"Then what could possibly be there?"

"...My instinct is telling me to go."

Angeal looked at him oddly, lifting his body from the table to face him completely. "That is not logical, Sephiroth." Said First turned to him expectantly, so he continued. "It is not important."

"He's a case that needs investigating," Sephiroth said firmly.

"I understand that, but investigating his hometown is not top priority. In fact, there may not be anything there. We have to consult Genesis before we make any reckless moves."

The General said nothing, so Angeal leaned back against the table. They waited there for a bit more before Sephiroth answered.

"Let's go."

Angeal got up, surprised. "What? Where?"

Sephiroth turned to him. "You were right. I cannot wait. Let's find the Director."

Angeal smirked weakly. "I knew you cared."

They left the room silently and headed for Director Lazard's office, crossing the hallway with ease and speed. They passed a few employees in the hall, all of whom were mulling about their own business, oblivious to the news. As they passed them, people hurriedly moved aside for them in all their powerful, strong—and now worried—glory, with a few waves in Angeal's direction. In his concern, he didn't notice.

It wasn't long before they arrived in front of the Director's door. Sephiroth reached for the knob, but before his hand touched it the door swung open and he pulled his hand back.

A copper-haired woman in a Turk suit—who Angeal recognized as Cissnei of the Turks—hurried out with nothing but a glance in their direction. She immediately swung on her heel and fast-walked away from their direction, down the hall and around a corner.

Sephiroth ignored her and walked in, greeting the Director as he did so. Angeal waited outside for a minute, staring after the direction she had gone.

She was clearly here about Genesis. Her face as she walked out…

…was slightly relieved. Angeal breathed out a slight sigh, reassured that things were fine. He then tensed up slightly again. She was a Turk; they were masters at the poker face.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of the Director calling his name. Snapping into focus, Angeal firmly stepped into the room, closing the door shut behind him.

"Director," he waved, his voice betraying slight uneasiness.

"Hewley," the man nodded, his blonde hair swaying with the movement. He then looked to Sephiroth and back to Angeal, his face showing that he already knew what they had come for. "Genesis is alright, and should be here in about forty minutes."

The dark-haired First breathed a heavier sigh of relief, now knowing for sure that his friend was okay. However, one look at the Director revealed a grim expression and Angeal's emotions wavered.

"Is something the matter?" Sephiroth asked first. His faced remained indifferent, betraying nothing. Lazard intertwined his fingers and rested his head on them, looking at the two SOLDIER Firsts pointedly.

"There is still the mystery as to _how, why _and by _whom _he was attacked. The staff at the Gold Saucer had no useful information. Do you happen to have any? I was about to call you down."

Sephiroth spoke for them. "No, we hadn't had any contact with Genesis since he left for the Gold Saucer."

Angeal stopped himself from whipping his head around to face Sephiroth. The man in question glanced at Angeal very quickly before focusing his attention on Lazard. The dark-haired First glared at him inwardly. That was not honourable! That information was very useful. He was tempted to speak up, but the look in Sephiroth's eyes when he glanced at him told him that he knew what he was doing. Instead, Angeal made a mental note to discuss this later.

Lazard, despite Angeal's worry, appeared to not have suspected a thing. Regardless, the blonde nodded, a frown deepening on his face. He then looked at the both of them seriously.

"Hopefully, Genesis will have more information. I assure you two will interrogate him?" He spoke calmly from his desk, straightening his back as he did so.

The General nodded curtly and Angeal gave a verbal affirmative. "Of course we will," he said, his voice sure.

"Wait in the infirmary, private section 3B. He will be taken there once he arrives."

A unanimous "Yes, sir," came from the two SOLDIERs and they began to make their way out. They were stopped at the sound of the Director's voice.

"If you receive any information," he began slowly, "any at all, I expect to hear it."

Sephiroth continued on forward with another nod, Angeal following. They shut the door behind them without another word.

Immediately the honour-bound SOLDIER turned to his silver-haired friend once he was sure they were out of the Director's hearing range. "Why did you lie, Sephiroth?" he asked, his voice tainted with an undertone of disappointment. The other First didn't even glance at him, instead continuing to walk forward silently. Displeased, Angeal followed closely behind.

"Sephiroth, that information could have helped Genesis!"

No answer.

The dark-haired First flattened his lips and moved to stand in front of the still moving General, thus cutting him off. Sephiroth stopped—was that a hint of irritation on his face?—and waited for Angeal to speak.

He stared him down disapprovingly. "It isn't like you to fail to disclose information. Do you not want to help Genesis? Do you—"

"Angeal," the other First stopped him, his voice low. "This is not the place to discuss this. Let's get to the infirmary first." He then stepped around Angeal and continued walking as if nothing had occurred, much to Angeal's chagrin. However, he sighed inwardly and decided to follow the General once more, anticipating his argument.

Eventually they had arrived at the infirmary and headed to the private section in which Genesis would be taken to. Being Firsts, they were free to enter if need be. Nobody was in the room when they opened the door, revealing an empty, bleach-white room with an examination table in the middle, medical supplies lining the sides and everything else you would find in an infirmary. They both sat in the available chairs that rested on the left side of the room, making sure to shut the door tightly.

"Alright, Sephiroth, I want to hear this."

Angeal stared at the General expectantly, waiting for him to explain his actions. Sephiroth hummed a bit before speaking.

"After giving me the information, Genesis asked that I be discreet about it."

The other SOLDIER frowned. "Why?"

"He wanted to keep this case from the Turks," Sephiroth answered matter-of-factly.

Angeal still didn't get it. "Well, _why _does he want to keep it from the Turks?" He figured that if they told Lazard about Strife and Johnston, they could begin to take action.

The General looked bored. "That, I do not know. However, he had asked, and I wasn't going to reveal anything without consulting him first. That is all."

The dark-haired SOLDIER looked dumbfoundedly at Sephiroth. He was expecting some complicated thought process and plan to be the reason for lying about the information, not a measly promise.

"There's more to it, isn't there?"

Sephiroth didn't respond immediately, but when he did his lip curved up a bit. "Tell me, Angeal. Are your everyday duties enough to satisfy you?"

The man frowned deeper. "I would suppose so. Why?"

"I have decided to take this case onto my shoulders."

"Sephiroth!" Angeal exclaimed, the ever thoughtful one. "This is not your responsibility! It's out of your hands."

The silver-haired man looked at him boredly. "It shouldn't be too hard."

Angeal was tempted to face palm but decided against it. Instead he spoke in a gruff voice. "Sephiroth, you know—"

He was cut off by a hard knock on the door. Shooting a stern look at the General, he faced the door. "It's open."

The door burst open and a figure with spiky black hair stood in the doorway, looking flustered. "Angeal! Angeal I heard you were in here. Did you—" He cut himself off after noticing the other prominent presence in the room and took a moment to compose himself, looking kind of embarrassed the whole time.

"Uh…" he began hesitantly, looking at Angeal but sneaking glances at the General, "am I interrupting something?"

Angeal was about to tell him to leave, and that yes, they were discussing something important, but Sephiroth waved him in with a "No, not at all," clearly avoiding eye-contact with Angeal. Frowning but letting it go for now, the dark-haired First had a more immediate question for Zack.

"Hey, Zack," he called, earning an immediate reaction from him. The Second turned to Angeal expectantly. "How did you get in here? It's the _private _section."

He blanked out for a minute. Angeal tapped his foot impatiently, pinning a stare on his mentee. "Good question," Zack eventually answered. Flabbergasted, the First kept looking at him, an odd look forming on his face.

"What do you mean, 'good question'?"

The whole time Sephiroth seemed partially amused, and partially impatient. Angeal himself was too worked up to deal with Zack's antics, so he tapped his fingers on the chair rest next to him. "Zack…"

The young Second seemed to snap out of a trance and scratched his head idly. "Well…it's kind of funny actually. I just walked right in and asked someone where you were. They led me to this room, and now here I am. I didn't know this was private…"

Angeal looked at Zack sternly. "And why were you looking for me?"

"Oh yeah!" he exclaimed. "Have you heard about Genesis!?"

Sephiroth turned his head away, amusement gone and completely replaced with irritation. Angeal shook his head.

"Zack, what do you think we're doing here then?" he said matter-of-factly, pinning a pointed stare at the young Second. He looked around for a bit, then back at Angeal.

"Uh…I don't know."

Sighing, the dark-haired First gripped his head with three fingers. He really wasn't in the mood for this. "Listen, Zack, I already know the whole deal. You shouldn't be here right now; I'll meet you later, alright?"

Immediately Zack completely deflated and pulled a kicked-puppy expression, looking at Angeal sorrowfully. The First frowned. That wasn't going to work on him.

"If you don't need to tell me anything else," Angeal continued, gesturing to Sephiroth, "we're kind of busy, if that's okay with you?" He tried to keep the displeasure out of his voice. After all, he always _did _feel a little guilty when Zack pulled The Face.

"…But—"

"How about you train for a bit? We'll see how much you've improved in the next training session. I'd better see some improvement, Zack!"

The expression loosened a bit but wasn't gone. Even if he was upset, Zack always respected Angeal's decisions. He smiled inwardly at his young mentee.

"Okay, Angeal," Zack gave up, offering a slight wave before heading out and closing the door shut. Sighing again, Angeal turned to Sephiroth, checking his reaction to the whole thing. The General was facing the wall now, looking annoyed and uninterested. He glanced back at the other First.

"Genesis should be here in about 25 minutes."

Nodding, they settled in. There really was nothing more to say until he arrived. The only sound was the clock ticking the seconds away, silence filling the rest.

* * *

After another long 23 minutes, the two Firsts heard noise outside their door. Alarmed, they simultaneously rose from their chairs, ready to meet their friend again; however, after another two minutes they heard a door shut closed. Curious, Sephiroth moved towards the door first, followed by Angeal. The dark-haired SOLDIER watched as Sephiroth opened the door quickly.

The sight that greeted them was a few medics trailing behind an empty wheelchair, leaving the room that was next to the one the Firsts were currently in.

"You think that's Genesis?" asked Angeal, turning to the General. The dark-haired First figured they had entered the wrong room. Sephiroth nodded, eyes never leaving the room next to them. They slid past the medics and were in front of the other door in a second. This time Angeal was the first to reach for the knob, worry for his friend at its peak with the possibility of him being just behind closed doors. With a deep breath, he turned the knob, expecting the worst.

His eyes widened slightly.

The man inside the room was indeed Genesis, sitting on the examination table in the middle of the room. His legs lay flat on the table wrapped in bandages, his hands clenched into fists next to them. He was slumped over in defeat but was fuming. In front of him was a wary doctor, apparently trying to give the First a proper examination but to no avail. However, the most significant part of the whole thing was the redhead's expression. It radiated death and despair, crunched into a menacing glare. He could understand why the doctor was so cautious.

"Hey," Angeal started, reaching out towards the doctor and gesturing for him to leave. He was only too glad to scurry out the door, giving the two Firsts a clear view of their old friend.

"Genesis," Sephiroth said simply, moving quickly and smoothly to the man's side. The Commander turned his piercing gaze onto the General as he approached him. His lips parted slightly into a scowl, his eyes flaring.

"Oh look, if it isn't the _great General_," Genesis spoke ominously, his voice smooth and deadly. He raised his hands slightly in the air, spreading them in a mock welcoming gesture before lowering them back down. Sephiroth ignored the greeting and instead stayed quiet, looking to Angeal.

"Are you alright? We were worried about you." Angeal tried, tilting his head down to try to meet Genesis's gaze. The man didn't even flinch, so Angeal flattened his lips and looked to Sephiroth for help.

The silver-haired man shrugged, dropping his gaze down to their friend again. He looked slightly helpless, Angeal noted.

The two SOLDIERS jumped a little at the sound of Genesis's voice when he suddenly spoke.

"Alright? Alright!? Of course I'm alright. Why wouldn't I be?"

His voice came out low and very un-Genesis like. Sure, the redhead was pretty threatening when he wanted to be, but this was odd, even for him. Cautious, Angeal looked to Sephiroth again.

The silver-haired man glanced at Angeal before flicking his gaze back to Genesis.

"How did you get hurt?" he asked, looking pointedly at the Commander's wrapped up legs. The redhead shrugged, frown deepening as he did so, and turned his head away from Sephiroth. The honour-bound SOLDIER decided to step in, moving in to stand next to Sephiroth. They both looked seriously at Genesis.

"This information is important, Genesis," Angeal started, his tone tinted with warning. "We need to know _who_ attacked you, _how_ they attacked you, and _why_ they attacked you."

Snorting, Genesis switched his gaze between the two other Firsts. "Go sharpen your swords. Make sure they are very, very sharp. That is all you need to know."

Angeal looked at him oddly. "Why?"

He turned his head away again, looking to the ceiling this time. "_My soul, corrupted by vengeance…Hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey…In my own salvation, and your, eternal slumber…"_

Of course. There was never a conversation with Genesis without a LOVELESS quote. He sighed, wishing Genesis would cooperate easier.

"LOVELESS, Act IV," Sephiroth answered automatically, earning an approving nod from Genesis. His frown deepened in a slightly confused manner. "Vengeance to whom?"

"That spiky-haired abomination!" the Crimson Commander spat, his temper flaring again and his eyes burning holes. Angeal's eyes widened knowingly and he quickly glanced at Sephiroth, who nodded. The dark-haired First lifted his hands towards the redhead in a gesture of peace, hoping he would calm down again. Genesis waved him away roughly, turning to the other side as he did so.

"You mean Strife?" Sephiroth responded, even though he already knew the answer.

Genesis scoffed. "He shouldn't be graced with a name."

Angeal made a note of that, mentally checking him off the list of names he had conjured up in his head. Trudeau was dead, Strife was supposedly the one who attacked Genesis…he would have to look more into that…and Johnston…

"What happened to Johnston?" Angeal asked, remembering the young cadet who was with them. Genesis looked confused for a moment, but then shrugged.

"Who?"

**_Meanwhile_**

"Guys? Hey, is anybody there?"

**_Back to the infirmary_**

Angeal shrugged it off as well. Sehk was probably already back or something. Either way, he wasn't a huge priority. There was still one big question that hadn't been answered yet, though.

"Genesis," Angeal began, trying to lighten his voice slightly without lessening the urgency, "please tell us _how _you got hurt or I'm going to go crazy. Was it a fight?"

Sephiroth nodded and crossed his arms, implying that he wanted to hear this as well and that the redhead could not change the topic anymore. The Commander's face scrunched up further in anger, if that was even possible. He sat fuming for a minute before calming down enough to talk.

"If you're thinking it was a fight, you are wrong. Strife told me he was leaving, so I chased him when he got up in the middle of the night. We ended up rolling into the Wonder Square, and I quickly got off him," here he paused for a minute, containing himself. "He punched the back of my knees, breaking them and causing me to tumble into the Gondola, which closed. He then ran away. That is all." Genesis' expression left no room for argument. When Angeal and Sephiroth didn't say anything, he looked at them accusingly. "What? Were you expecting something a little less…pathetic?"

His pouty face would have almost make Angeal chuckle, if it weren't for the deadly aura and anger surrounding him. The dark-haired First was not expecting something so…simple, and by the look on Sephiroth's face, neither was he._  
_  
"Is that all?" Sephiroth asked, narrowing his eyes.

"What else do you want!?" Genesis growled, crossing his arms.

Angeal watched as Sephiroth uncrossed his own arms and let them hang to his sides. He was observing Genesis as though expecting more information. "Is there anything else worth noting? Where did Strife go? Did you gauge his strength? Is he after you, or was it out of self-defence? What d—"

"Alright, alright," Genesis waved a hand around impatiently, cutting him off. "I don't know where the bloody fool went, nor did I get a good measurement of his strength. All I know is that I want him dead, and I want him dead now."

The General looked at him, slightly confused. "Do you still wish to keep this from Shin-Ra?"

The red-head threw his arms up in the air. "No! Tell them everything, I don't care! I want you to go straight to President Shin-Ra, Director Lazard, the Turks, anybody you can find. I want you to tell them every little piece of information you have."

Angeal and Sephiroth both raised their eyebrows simultaneously and glanced at each other. "Very well," Sephiroth continued.

"Just one more thing," Angeal stepped in. "Can you think of any place Strife might have gone?"

Genesis looked at him tiredly. "I don't know. When you leave Gold Saucer, you end up in Corel. It has not been long. He is probably in the mountain regions near there, considering he does not have a ride." He then closed his eyes, seemingly worn out. Angeal nodded then looked to Sephiroth again, nodding his head towards the door.

"Hey, Genesis, is it alright if we leave you here for a bit?" Angeal asked him, beginning to walk towards the door.

"With the doctor? You might want to tell him to be careful. I am not in the mood."

"So is that a yes?"

"Go ahead," Genesis opened his eyes to wave them away. "_Even if the morrow is barren of promises…Nothing shall forestall…my return…"_

"We will see you later too, Genesis," Angeal smiled slightly before following Sephiroth out the door to get the doctor, leaving the red-head alone in the room. Genesis sat there with his eyes closed, unknowing of the events that will transpire in his wake…

* * *

The wind blew harshly around the mountains, blowing yellow strands of hair left and right. Tired and worn out, he determinedly placed another foot in front of the first, climbing the harsh rocky terrain. Granted, it would have been easier to take the long way around, but the blonde warrior wanted to get to his destination faster.

After all, Nibelheim laid only a few mountains away.

And with it, JENOVA.

Cloud sighed, brushing his bright yellow hair back for what seemed to be the millionth time. His hair was really, really annoying him. The wind never ceased in the mountains, so it wasn't like he could do anything about it. He grumbled as his foot slipped for the umpteenth time, the sound low in his throat. Regaining his balance, the blonde continued his trek up the mountains.

One foot in front of the other. One step at a time.

He didn't need anyone by his side. He could do this alone.

Cloud had to admit, he did not expect Barret to reject him. The feeling of rejection left a bitter taste in his mouth. It was a big blow to him, mainly because he was so confident. What if all his other friends did the same thing? After he left Corel, he wasn't even thinking; he just started climbing the mountains. The blonde forgot to pack adequate supplies because he was so upset. Oh well, he mused, too late to turn back now.

He flattened his lips as he traversed the rocky terrain, hoping he wouldn't wear out soon. His mind kept swimming back to Barret's harsh laugh and bitter words. Every time he ran and reran the conversation through his head, the sting was like he was hearing it for the first time. The blonde winced, not from the cold wind slapping against his skin or the rocks scratching his hands, but from those words that just wouldn't go away. Although physically he was fit and comfortable, mentally Cloud wasn't in very good shape at the moment.

He ran another hand through his hair and down the back of his neck, feeling his hand brush the edge of the sword on his back. Surprisingly, Cloud hadn't run into any monsters yet. It was driving him crazy; he _needed _to kill something, needed to take his anger out. As the time passed he started to get more desperate, looking at what seemed to be the same rocks and the same sky and everything was the goddamn same. He started taking different routes that he believed would have enemies in them, but to no avail.

This was how Cloud spent the first couple hours of his walk, grimacing and grumbling and complaining. He was in no mood to deal with anyone and hoped for the safety of the people that nobody decided to go hiking. His mood sunk further when he realized that a bunch of his valuables were still at Shin-Ra, and he did _not _want to go back there. In fact, he didn't want to do anything.

With this thought, Cloud plopped himself down on what seemed to be an innocent-looking rock near the top of the slightly steep mountain he had been climbing for the past hour. He slipped his sword out of the case on his back and laid it in his lap, running his hand along the smooth edge. He figured he deserved a break; after all, it wasn't like anybody was looking for him or anything.

Cloud gazed at his reflection on the flat of his sword. His hair was all over the place, his eyes were dull, and his face was covered in dirt and dust from his little adventure in the mountains. Tiredly, he ran a hand over his face, causing the dirt from his hands to rub onto his features and give him a dirtier expression. He grumbled again, shaking his head, and firmly gripped the handle of his sword. In frustration Cloud slammed his sword into the mountainous rock next to him angrily; however, this caused the already-fragile ground to break under the pressure.

Within seconds the rock all around him broke free from the side of the mountain, causing a very surprised and pissed Cloud to tumble down the mountainside. He ground his teeth from the pain of the rocks scratching at him as he rolled down the mountain all the way down.

Cloud finally gained enough sense to swing his sword and embed it into the rock, praying to whoever was listening that it wouldn't break as well. Thankfully it held, and a now-bloody Cloud climbed up to a ledge to stare up in horror at the mountain.

All his progress. For a full hour. _Gone._

He angrily ran a hand over the different cuts over his body, smudging the blood all over the First uniform he wore. Taking in a deep breath, Cloud angrily yelled up into the mountains, all his frustration from the past three days into this one cry.

"**AAAGGGGGHHHHHHHH!"**

* * *

**And then he goes Super Saiyan!**

**Just kidding. I really hope you guys enjoyed that chapter. You know, you could always suggest anything you want to see and I'll consider it.**

**OH YEAH. One more important thing! Because I don't know how to put in a poll...****  
**  
_Should I keep Genesis alive or kill him off? (It's not a drastic difference in my story, but lately I've been having trouble deciding)._

**PM me, review, or whatever else to tell me what you'd like me to do!  
**  
**Thanks for reading and sticking with me, everyone. I'll try not to disappoint!**


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